Mercedes-Benz

The magazine for multi-functional applications

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09 Unimog

DEMOPARK WITH THREE WORLD PREMIERES | FIELD ASSETS | CUSTOMERS SWEAR BY THE UNIMOG

Wind of change WIND POWER_Enercon, one of the leading

manufacturers of power generation systems,

relies on the Unimog road-railer system.

Publisher‘s dataPublisher: Daimler AG, Product Division Special-Purpose VehiclesResponsible at publisher: Benjamin Syring, Product Division Special-Purpose VehiclesEditorial committee: Benjamin Syring, Marion Weisenburger, Thomas Bach, Dieter Mutard, Dieter Sellnau, Claws E. TohscheContributors to this issue: Texts and photographs: Dieter Mutard, Ute Risché, Henrik Morlock, Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles Editorial office address: Daimler AG, Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles, Sales and Marketing, D-76742 Wörth, GermanyProduction: Dieter Mutard DWM Pressebüro und Verlag, Söflinger Straße 100, D-89077 Ulm, GermanyThe publisher accepts no responsibility for unsolicited copy or photographs · The next issue will appear in autumn 2009Printed on paper bleached without chlorine · Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany

Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles04 Shining example_ Sales record

New developments_ U 20 with enhanced technology

05 News_ Another step into the future with Euro 5 / Innovative semitrailer rig / Once more: Unimog

Change at the top_ “Ideal candidates”

Road-railer06 Wind power_ Wind of change with ecofriendly drives

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Showtime10 Versatility_ Unimog expertise and three world premieres

Energy industry14 Pipework_ Lifelines for energy customers

Contractors18 Plus points_ Customers swear by the Unimog

Daimler Worldwide22 Bulk goods_ Technology leader

Engine development_ Economical, powerful, reliable

23 Shaping Future Transportation_ Hybrid tippers

News_ Training programme, Canter for Vietnam

Courier, express and parcel services_ On expansion course

International24 Forest fires_ Blessed Unimog in the fight against fire

History26 Museum_ 60 years of the Unimog and agriculture

Road-maintenance services20 Snow-clearing operations_ Start of spring on the Riedberg Pass

Energy industry12 Oil production_ Field assets

Technology16 Trailblazing_ Top of the class

Cover story_ U 400 transports ENERCON rotor blades measuring over 40 m in length

UniMoG 1 · 2009 · RuNNINghEaDERUniMoG 1 · 2009 · CONTENTS

groundbreaking_ The Unimog with BlueTec technology complies with the strictest of emission standards

Technology16

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4 PRODuCT DIVISION SPECIal-PuRPOSE VEhIClES · UniMoG 1 · 2009

Sales record For the first time, annual unit sales of the Mercedes-Benz Econic have

topped the 1500 mark. Vehicle number 1500 was handed over to

“Die Stadtreiniger Kassel”.

ShININg EXaMPlE— In its eleventh year of production, the Mercedes-Benz Econic – the low-floor vehicle for municipal, collection and distri-bution operations, drink suppliers, fire brigades, airports and tanker applications – has notched up a landmark success. Some 1500 models ba-sed on this innovative vehicle concept were sold in 2008. The Econic is the market leader in its segment and a role model in its competitive en-vironment. Since the Econic premiered at the “Entsorga 1998” show, over 8000 vehicles have been supplied to customers in various sectors. By way of example, the town of Kassel in northern Hesse has switched to the Mercedes-Benz Econic for all of its waste-disposal vehicles. With a per-

missible GVW of 26 tonnes and an engine output of 240 kW (326 hp), the Econic can collect more than ten tonnes of waste paper on each trip. In addition to this, the vehicle is equipped with so-phisticated, ecofriendly BlueTec diesel technolo-gy, and it already meets the requirements of the Euro 5 emission standard due to come into force in October 2009. Further exemplary features in-

clude the Econic‘s ergonomic design, including a practical cab for the driver and three co-drivers. Easy entry and exit is assured thanks to the low frame at a height of just 847 mm. The cleverly conceived cab also has a flat floor throughout and a wide-opening folding door.

The complete vehicle fleet: Niels Kowollik hands over the landmark vehicle to the Mayor of Kassel, Thomas-Erik Junge (right), with workshop manager Stefan Weiland in the background

U 20 with enhanced technologyBarely two years after its launch, the Unimog U 20 compact implement carrier has benefited from further

technical innovations aimed at enhancing ride comfort and widening the range of applications.

NEW DEVElOPMENTS— The U 20 features a range of attractive technical modifications for 2009. From the second quarter of this year on-wards, the vehicles will also be available with a permissible GVW of 9.3 tonnes – in addition to the 7.5-tonne and 8-5-tonne load ratings. The corresponding axle loads – 4.8 tonnes front and rear – have each been increased by 200 kg to 5.0 tonnes. The benefits to the user are obvious: the extra load – 200 kg per axle – is an advantage in terms of implement mounting as it extends the range of applications for the U 20 considerably, particularly in the case of snow-clearing opera-tions, but also when it comes to agricultural, hor-ticultural and landscaping work. In addition to this, the increase in gross weight makes the U 20 a viable option for fire brigades. Some fire-brigade bodybuilders have already started and completed projects based on the

U 20 platform. The second new development con-cerns ride comfort in the Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 20. An air-sprung driver‘s seat with pneumatic lumbar support, adjustable backrest and head restraint adjustment options will likewise be available from the second quarter of this year onwards. It further enhances the vehicle‘s alrea-

dy impressive seating comfort, ride comfort and workplace comfort. In addition, this innovation based on the latest occupational health standards and requirements provides all that is needed for ergonomic and efficient work as the driver can climb out of the cab without any risk to injury, even after working for long periods.

Easily accessible: the controls for the airsprung driver‘s seat

More payload: the new 9.3-tonne variant can carry larger and hea-vier implements, e.g. for snow-clearing operations

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For the fifth time in succession, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog for extreme off-road conditions (U 4000/U 5000 series) has been crowned off-roader of the year in the ”Special-purpose vehicles“ category by the readers of OFF ROAD magazine. The awards are based on vehicles from eight categories put forward by the tradition-steeped all-wheel-drive magazine based in Munich. In the ”Special-purpose vehicles“ category, the Unimog secured top spot with a resounding 42.3 percent of the readers‘ votes.

“Ideal candidates”

ChaNgE aT ThE TOP— On 29 April, Martin Daum was given a fitting send-off by Huber-tus Troska, Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, in the customer centre at the Wörth plant, with his successor, Yaris Pürsün, being in-troduced at the same time. The event – at-tended by the Rhineland-Palatinate Chief Minister Kurt Beck, representatives of the Germersheim administrative district and the town of Wörth, and many of Daum‘s colleagues – was a resounding success. The trust Hubertus Troska has placed in Martin Daum, and now also in Yaris Pürsün, Daum‘s successor, was clearly evident in Hubertus Troska‘s speech. “Martin Daum was my ideal candidate to be plant manager in Wörth when he was appointed, and now so is Yaris Pürsün,” said Troska, underlining his esteem for the new Wörth manager and his predecessor. Yaris Pürsün spoke about his new role as plant manager and head of Special-Purpose Vehicles: “I start my new job with the greatest of respect and recog-

nition for what Martin Daum has achieved. I will continue my work in the same vein and, where necessary, bring something new to the job.” Walter Eisele (Development and Production Special-Purpose Vehicles) and Ernst Wüns-tel (Production Manager Trucks) reflected on Martin Daum‘s six years as manager in Wörth, citing a series of unique production records. Eisele referred to several outstan-ding achievements in the Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles during this time, including the moving of Unimog activities from Gaggenau to the Wörth truck factory, further development of the Econic – notably the version with natural-gas engine – new developments such as the Unimog U 20 and the all-wheel-drive Zetros truck, and the ar-moured Actros. “With his decisions, Martin Daum helped to create many new jobs and product lines in the Product Division Spe-cial-Purpose Vehicles,” said the Division‘s Chief Engineer.

in 2003, Martin Daum took over at the helm of the Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles.

Then, in 2006, he assumed dual responsibility by also becoming manager of the Wörth truck

plant in Germany. He is now taking over as head of Daimler Trucks north America, effective

1 June 2009. His successor in both of his previous functions is Yaris Pürsün, formerly head of

Finance & Controlling Mercedes-Benz Trucks.

Once more: Unimog

Europe‘s Euro 5 emission standard comes into force on 1 October of this year. Euro 5 means even lower nitro-gen oxide limits of 2.00 g/kWh – a further 40 percent lower than Euro 4. This reduction is achieved thanks to a new barrier coating in the catalytic converter and optimisation of the AdBlue injection into the exhaust-gas stream. Production with the new engines will commence on 1 July for all Unimog U 20, U 300/ U 400/U 500 and U 4000/U 5000 models. All of which means that the Unimog – the most economical implement carrier in its class – is taking another giant step Into the future.

Another step into the future with Euro 5

A long-standing Mercedes-Benz truck customer, the Tengelmann trading company – incorporating Kaiser‘s and the Tengelmann supermarkets – is based in Vier-sen, Germany. When it comes to purchasing trucks, Tengelmann abides by its ecological and socio-political principles. Together with the Mercedes-Benz Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles in Wörth, the compa-ny agreed to take part in a goods-transport test invol-ving the Mercedes-Benz Econic with natural-gas drive (NGT). This means that an innovative Econic semitrailer tractor (photo) which already meets the requirements of the Euro 5 emission standard is already on the road, saving up to 40 percent on fuel costs compared to a comparable diesel vehicle. This truck is even CO

2-neut-ral when filled with biogas.

Innovative semitrailer rig

New product developments during the Daum era in Wörth (from left): Zetros, Unimog U 20, armoured Actros, Econic with gas engine

Group photo at the farewell gathering: Martin Daum (left), Hubertus Troska (middle), Head of Mercedes-Benz Trucks, and Yaris Pürsün, the new Wörth plant manager

6 ROaD-RaIlERS · UniMoG 1 · 2009

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Wind of change with ecofriendly drives

EnERCon from Aurich in East Frisia is one of the world‘s leading manufacturers of wind energy plants.

The Unimog road-railer is an indispensible link in the logistics chain, in terms of both economy and

ecology.

WIND POWER— In view of the rising global de-mand for energy and ever-diminishing fossil-fuel resources, the energy sector is without doubt one of the world‘s key industries. Wind energy plant manufacturer ENERCON – based in Aurich in Lower Saxony and celebrating its 25th birthday this year – is ideally equipped to face the challen-ges in this industry. Company founder and ow-ner Aloys Wobben started in 1984 with a small team of engineers and developed the first wind energy plant with an output of 55 kW. Today the company is the market leader in Germany with a market share of over 50 percent. With more than 14,500 wind energy plants installed in over 30 countries, ENERCON is also a leading manufac-turer on the international stage and is posting double-digit growth rates in the current economic crisis. The latest development – the E-126 – has a rotor diameter of 126 metres, a hub height of 135 metres and a rated output of six megawatts, making it the world‘s most powerful wind ener-gy plant at this moment in time. “The innovative drive concept forms the heart of the ENERCON wind energy plants,” explains Klaus Peters, the company‘s Global Production Manager. “A ge-arless system comprising a small number of rota-ting components allows a practically frictionless

flow of energy, thus reducing mechanical loads, operating costs and maintenance expenditure whilst maximising output and reliability.” To meet the high demand, ENERCON produces at its Aurich headquarters in East Frisia and also has two further production sites in Magdeburg and Emden as well as international sites in Sweden, Portugal, Turkey, Brazil and India, employing a total of more than 12,000 people.In recent years, the overwhelming success of the ENERCON products has posed increasingly stiff challenges, not least in the logistics domain. “Many components of wind energy plants, espe-cially the rotor blades, some of which are over 40 metres long, call for complex transport solutions that require special permits and involve a num-ber of disadvantages, such as only being able to transport the products when there are low volu-mes of traffic on the road and the need for es-cort vehicles,” explains Ulrich Neundlinger. “The reopening of the long disused rail link between Aurich and Abelitz in April 2008 was therefore an important milestone in our quest to safeguard the future of our company‘s headquarters in East Frisia.” Neundlinger, responsible for transferring consignments to the railways, continues: “Now that the around 15-kilometre long single-track

Precision work: great care is taken when positioning the rotor blades, some of which measure over 40 metres in length, on the special wagons

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rail link has been reactivated, we have access to the German national rail network as far as the North Sea port of Emden, where the majority of our plants destined for export are forwarded by sea. We ultimately shouldered the investment for reactivating the rail infrastructure together with the German state of Lower Saxony, the administrative district of Aurich, and the towns of Aurich and Emden, thus creating the basis for further invest-ment at the Aurich site.”The crucial importance of the railways as a means of transport for ENERCON can also be seen by the fact that, in order to establish a rail transport link between Aurich and Emden, ENERCON took over the railway company Eisenbahngesellschaft Ostfriesland-Oldenburg mbH (e.g.o.o.), founded by rail enthusiasts and based in Aurich, back in 2007. Johann Ub-ben, local operations manager for e.g.o.o., explains: “Operating our own rail transport link with our own vehicles gives us a high degree of flexibility, meaning we can always react to changing transport requirements at short notice. In the first year alone, we completed around 2000 train journeys, exceeding our originally planned total by a considerable margin.”Following the takeover of e.g.o.o. and the start of rail transport, a Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 400 was drafted into service in April 2008. Equipped with a powerful 6-cylinder diesel engine featuring Euro 4 tech-nology and a torque converter and clutch unit, the vehicle is used mainly for shunting. To this end, rail specialist ZAGRO equipped the vehicle with rail gear, a railway wagon braking system designed for 800 tonnes or 52 axles, radio remote control, and fold-up drawbars front and rear. Johann Ubben continues: “One of the locations at which we use the Unimog is our loading station, which is still under construction, although parts of it are already operational. It is due to be completed in September 2009.” Here

Wide range of applications: as well as professional shunting duties, the Unimog also performs vegetation control and cleaning work

rotor blades are loaded onto low-platform wagons using a 64-tonne crane. The Unimog road-railer shunts together lines of wagons for collection by the long-distance locomotive or can easily be used to take the wagons to the transfer station in Georgsheil. Locomotive driver Thorsten Saathoff is thril-led about his new vehicle: “On the route to Abelitz, we have to cross over several unguarded railway crossings, many of them within communities. I have an ideal view from the Unimog cab and can spot all the danger areas very easily.” Saathoff is also highly satisfied with the performance of the Mercedes-Benz U 400: “When unloading wagons with gravel at our plant for prefab concrete towers in Emden, we regularly have to transport loads of around 800 tonnes. The Unimog takes this all in its stride without any problems whatsoever!” The range of applications covered by the vehicle supplied by Unimog ge-neral distributor Schelling in conjunction with road-railer specialist “Zwie-hoff Zweiwege-Fahrzeuge” includes shunting among many other tasks. The Unimog is fitted with a Dammann track spraying system as a swap body at the rear. As vegetation growth in the track bed leads to considerable damage to the infrastructure, the Unimog is used for vegetation control

twice a year on the reopened rail route. A grooved rail and surface cleaning imple-ment made by Dücker, which is mounted on the Unimog‘s front mounting plate and driven by a mechanical front PTO shaft, can be used to clean crossings or to sweep the company grounds. The selection of imple-ments is completed by a snowplough and a gritting trailer, which ENERCON uses itself in winter to clear snow and black ice from the company grounds and important access roads. “Our Unimog is a true all-rounder,” says Ubben.” But the things he appreciates most are the Unimog‘s mobility and cost-ef-fectiveness: “We use the Unimog at various

Renewable energies are now responsible for generating a vast amount of power in many countries. In order to combat the already discernable effects of climate change and reduce dependence on imported energy, the importance of wind power for a future-com-patible energy mix will continue to increase. Industry leader ENERCON will continue to bring about change and implement innova-tive ideas to aid this development!

■ FuTuRE-COMPaTIBlE ENERgY MIX

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G. Zwiehoff GmbH Tegernseestrasse 15 Tel. +49 8031 23 285-0 info@zwiehoff.comRoad / Rail Vehicles D-83022 Rosenheim Fax +49 8031 23 285-19 www.zwiehoff.com

Zwiehoff Road / Rail VehiclesOutstanding technology from Germanyfor optional use on road and rail

As a worldwide expert in the field of road / rail technology we offer a variety of multi-purposevehicles for the following applications:- shunting- maintenance- rescue purpose- overhead line inspection- track and tunnel cleaning- clearance gauge cutting- sweeping, mowing, wood chipping, etc.

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locations. It has huge advantages over the loco-motive in that we can transfer goods between two locations on the road both quickly and easily,” explains Ubben. “What‘s more, the fact that the machine consumes far less fuel than a shunting locomotive totally won us over. Being a company in the renewable energy sector, this is particu-larly important to us, not only on a cost level but also in terms of environmental protection.”There remains plenty of work ahead for the Unimog road-railer. In late summer 2009, a new plant for castings in Georgsheil, Aurich will com-mence operations. Here ENERCON will be pro-ducing high-quality nodular cast iron parts such as rotor blade adapters, rotor hubs and kingpins, nearly 100 percent of which will be loaded onto rail vehicles. ENERCON is therefore consistently following its strategy of ensuring a high vertical range of manufacture and investing sustainably in the company‘s headquarters in East Frisia. ■

Container loading: the Unimog puts together the wagons for forward transport to the North Sea port of Emden

UniMoG 1 · 2009 · ROaD-RaIlERS

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Unimog expertise and three world premieres

MESSE · UniMoG 1 · 2009

A wide range of Mercedes-Benz Unimog vehicles added an extra-special ingredient to the “demopark” open-air show in Eisenach in June of this year:

no fewer than 15 different Unimog vehicles were either exhibited or demonstrated to highlight their professionalism and versatility, including three world

premieres!

VERSaTIlITY— The main focus of the Unimog demonstration was the Unimog U 20 and new implement combinations. Not to mention the U 300, U 400 and U 500 implement carriers, which displayed their vast range of applications. Great interest was also shown in the U 5000 series for extreme off-road conditions. This was the most effective way to demonstrate the unique Unimog expertise – high-performance, versatile, cost-effective and ecofriendly applica-tions – in unison with a sophisticated range of implements during the three show days, and the impact of such a line-up on the demopark show is immense. As Europe‘s largest open-air show of its kind, it provides an ideal platform for visitors representing municipalities or private service providers. Landscape preservation, rural conser-vation, work in green spaces, road construction and a wide range of services are the ideal focal points for exhibiting the range of applications and versatility of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 20, U 300/U 400/U 500 and U 5000. Over 30,000 visi-tors attended the event, primarily to experience at first hand the 370 or so vehicles and implements

on display. The Unimog exhibition area was vast: some 3700 square metres were available to exhibit and demonstrate a total of 15 Unimog vehicles, ten of which visitors were able to witness in action du-ring the course of a series of demonstrations. Three Unimog world firsts signal an even wider range of applications for the various Unimog mo-dels. A Komtec hook-lift implement was mounted on a U 20 with extended wheelbase. Also extended at the rear, the vehicle features air suspension so that it can be lowered to a loading height of 900 millimetres. The fact that the U 20, the most com-pact Unimog series, can now be fitted with a hook-lift implement increases its multiple-use capabili-ty by an substantial margin. Demonstrations were performed to show how to mount the implement and how to swap it for an automatic gritter. A U 300 unit with a Holzer road grader showed just what the Unimog is capable of in impressive style. It is attached in front of the implement carri-er and is used for grading, for other earth-moving work and, in longitudinal position, also for cutting small ditches or trenches. It replaces self-propelled graders, which can be used solely for this one pur-

pose. A further premiere – not just as a Unimog combination but also as a stand-alone mounted im-plement – was the Feind earth cutter (developed by Söder). It sits on the side of the vehicle – the 2200-millimetre wide Unimog is narrow enough to carry such an implement without exceeding the permissible dimensions – and cuts slit-type tren-ches into the soil whilst inserting a special foil or film – all in a single operation. This process is ef-fected in the soil on the verge beside the road and is designed to prevent fine root systems from wor-king their way under the road surface and causing damage there. The Unimog unit‘s dual-mode stee-ring system ensures that the operator is always positioned on the verge side, which is imperative for precision work in this area. Another new development is the Jotha skip loader, custom-designed for the Unimog U 20. Featuring a flat skip in this case, the skip loader is designed for high tipping by means of the telescopic lifting arm. Furthermore, the rear wall can be used eit-her as a tipping or a swinging rear gate. Customers have had the option of uprating the Unimog U 20 to a permissible GVW of 9.3 tonnes since spring

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UniMoG 1 · 2009 · ShOWTIME

Invitation happily accepted: scores of visitors flocked to the demonstrations at the Unimog stand (large photo on left)

A new Unimog look:the U 300 has a grader mounted at the front

2009. A vehicle of this type, equipped with a UNA 450 uni-arm and mower head from Dücker, took part in the demonstrations at the show. Visitors to the event were also keen to learn about an independent survey, which concluded that the Unimog implement carriers are far more cost-ef-fective transporters than tractors of a comparable size. Using a standardised test procedure, the Ger-man Agricultural Society (DLG) determined that the Unimog U 400 reduced fuel consumption by

13 litres per operating hour, equivalent to a fuel and emission saving of around 40 %. This advan-tage also makes a significant difference in the case of labour-intensive implement use, as highlighted by a further test conducted by the DLG. Combined with a verge and embankment mower, the Unimog U 400 easily achieved the better fuel consumption figures, even when mowing, which in all cases re-sults in a considerable fuel saving thanks to the inexpensive transport costs. Using less fuel means

not only lower costs but also better environmen-tal compatibility thanks to the lower CO2 emissi-ons. Together with the fact that the Unimog range switched to the Euro 5 emission standard ahead of schedule on July 1, these were all key points in the intensive discussions between the Unimog experts and the visitors to the demopark show.. ■

Anzeige kommt am Do. 1. Oktober

12 runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

OiL PrOduCTiOn— On the Rühlermoor fens, ExxonMobil and Gaz de France Suez ex-tract crude oil and natural gas from an area covering more than 30 square kilometres. Fens are defined as „wet habitats“, meaning that the underground conditions are problem-atic when it comes to extracting resources.

The requirements specified by Exxonmobil Production Deutschland when it came to purchasing a unimog with Werner/Palfinger crane body almost went

beyond squaring the circle. “We need a vehicle that is not too heavy, has off-road capability and can carry as large a crane as possible,” says georg Stülen,

engineer for the crude oil exploration company in Rühlermoor near meppen (in the Emsland administrative district).

The Rühlermoor fens have around 120 km of partially gravelled or tarred roads and 105 km of tracks for various vehicles and trans-port trains, The entire area is interspersed with typical oilfield landmarks in the shape of the pumping units that draw the crude oil upwards to the surface.

In this terrain, despite its gross weight of 15 t, the Unimog is a true asset for ExxonMobil Production Deutschland GmbH‘s oil produc-tion operations in Rühlermoor and Osterwald. Each day around 700 cubic metres of crude oil are obtained in Rühlermoor and a further 350 cubic metres in Osterwald, all of it ex-

Field assets

Power pack: the U 500 with Werner/Palfinger crane body at work on the “Rühlermoor” oilfield Wet habitat: typical fen landscape in Emsland

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Bad Bentheim

LingenEmsland

administrative district

NetherlandsBad Bentheim

Lingen

MeppenMeppen

Rühlermoor fens

Osterwald

administrative district

Netherlands

Overview

unimog 1 · 2009 · energY induSTrY

Karl-Müller-Str. 18 - 42 72270 Baiersbronn-Mitteltal

GermanyPhone +49 (0) 74 42 / 4 96-0 www.mueller-mitteltal.de

um ·

9/09

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tremely viscous. For this reason, it has to be heated using pressed-in high-pressure steam so that it can flow more easily from the pores of the stone to the oil-well bore. Pumps are then used to draw the oil upwards to the sur-face. And this is precisely where the Unimog comes in. The range of tasks performed by the Mer-cedes-Benz Unimog U 500 includes all repair and service work on the pumping units requir-ing heavy parts. It is also used to help install and remove submersible centrifugal pumps, a likewise heavy-duty task. „The Unimog U 500 with a wheelbase length of 3350 mm is ideal for our application requirements,“ says Alwin Asman, Team Field Lead at the Rühler-moor site. For these requirements on the fens, ExxonMobil has opted for the Palfinger crane (PK 44002 with 44 m/t, two articulated levers and crane winch) with an unladen weight of

7.9 t. This is the largest crane to have ever been mounted on a two-axle Unimog. The advantages of this Unimog-Werner/Palfinger configuration are clear: thanks to the impres-sive range of the crane jib, heavy components can be lifted from surfaced roads to the areas where they are needed on the site. ExxonMo-bil has a total of four Mercedes-Benz Unimog units (U 400, U 500, U 1200 and U 1300) in service at its Rühlermoor site, all of which were supplied by Unimog general representa-tive RKF-Bleses GmbH in Münster. These ve-hicles are serviced and maintained by author-ised workshop Hermann List Kraftfahrzeuge in nearby Uelsen. ■

14 runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

Lifelines for energy customers

PiPeWOrK— This network, constituting the “lifelines” for the energy customers, ensures a safe and efficient supply of electricity, water and gas for the general public. A specialist depart-ment – in this case Project Implementation III at SWD AG – is needed to look after pipeline production, mast installations, cable installation and overhead line dismantling on a daily basis. All work for which two Unimog U 500 vehicles have been used for the past one-and-a-half years or so. Given the specific requirement profile in question, the vehicles had to be checked right down to the last detail by the head of the spe-cialist department before they were purchased. The length of the gas and water network alone (not including connecting lines) is a staggering 3230 km. A compact vehicle with off-road capability is needed to ensure safe and efficient movement of

Around 90,000 households in Düsseldorf, capital of the german state of north Rhine-Westphalia, count on the reliable supply of electricity, water and gas

every day. The basis for this is provided by a network of underground pipes and cables measuring over 13,000 km in length, maintained and developed by

the department responsible for project implementation at Stadtwerke Düsseldorf Ag (SWD Ag), the local public utility company.

the standard 12-metre long pipes or the lighting masts measuring up to 18 metres in length, with weights of up to 1.5 tonnes, on the construction sites. This is why the department responsible for “Workshops and Transport” within SWD AG purchased two Unimog U 500 vehicles with Hiab 166 E-3 HiDuo crane with cable winch or 166 E-4 HiPro crane as well as an HPC front cable winch with a tensile load of 5 tonnes. The other well-known benefits of the Mercedes-Benz Uni-mog system – such as short wheelbase, perma-nent all-wheel drive, high towing capacity, high payload, hydrostatic drive system, PTO for hy-draulics, electrical interfaces and serviceability – were likewise major plus points in the eyes of this customer. Many years of expertise and a vast pool of know-how in the field of pipework, coupled with the aforementioned fleet modernisation, ultimately

allowed SWD AG to perform a large share of the work previously carried out solely by outside companies itself, both independently and eco-nomically. In addition to this, SWD AG is often successful in public tenders for similar work across the entire Düsseldorf region on account of its sophisticated technical equipment and wealth of experience. The two Unimog vehicles success-fully complete the line-up of ten pipework instal-lation convoys with 20 staff and play a major part in ensuring that around 30 kilometres of new gas and water pipes are added to the network each year. Graduate engineer Martin Tank, group leader in the specialist department, is quick to emphasise one particular aspect: “We are in-creasingly switching to mechanisation with the appropriate vehicles and implements in order to make better use of our staff potential and in-crease the cost-effectiveness of our activities.”

Pipe-laying vehicle: off to the construction site with two pipes on the side jib

Martin Tank: swears by the Unimog and its cost-effectiveness

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Unimog 09_U20:Layout 1 30.09.2009 10:24 Uhr Seite 2Advertisement

unimog 1 · 2009 · energY induSTrY

As far as the technical equipment for the two Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 500 vehicles is con-cerned, this strategy can be clearly understood as the vehicles and implements allow a high degree of efficiency. Each of the Hiab cranes is installed as a rear body with 17 m/t, and all their functions can be controlled by radio. Tasks performed by the HPC cable winches include salvaging masts from near-impassable terrain when dismantling overhead lines or extracting old lines from protective pipes when performing pipework. The pipe loading system on the right-hand side of the vehicle is suitable for pipe and mast lengths of up to 18 metres and a weight of 1.5 tonnes. In conjunction with this, an axle lock with additional hydraulic cylinder has been incorporated. For safety reasons, the vehicle can only be driven by means of hydrostat when

laden, and the speed is limited to max. 10 km/h. Furthermore, optimised power hydraulics have been installed. Thanks to this equipment, both Unimog U 500 vehicles can be used as heavy-duty pipe laying vehicles on construction sites, either with or without a trailer, or as mobile hy-draulic stations. Thanks to their exceptional ma-

noeuvrability, the compact vehicles get the job done quickly. The fact that the Unimog general representative Fasieco GmbH, which looks after this customer and also takes care of servicing for Hiab, has a branch in nearby Neuss com-pletes what has been a successful partnership for many years. ■

Easily visible: the axle lock with additional hydraulic cylinder (left)

Manoeuvrability: the Unimog comes into its own when space is at a premium on construction sites (right)

16 runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

Top of the classin times of strict economic criteria, expensive raw materials and high demand for ecofriendly vehicles,

the unimog comes out on top when compared with either tractors or trucks equipped with engines

featuring exhaust gas recirculation and diesel particulate filters – mainly on account of its leading

engine technology and universal application possibilities.

TraiLBLaZing— The Unimog – with Daimler Bluetec® engine technology and a drive concept that has proven itself hundreds of thousands of times over for several decades – is now even more future-compatible and innovative than ever. Bluetec® ensures that fewer nitrogen oxides and particles are produced as well as reducing fuel consumption. The Mercedes-Benz Unimog is

Agricultural

tractors

Higher fuel consumption

Soot accumulation due to lower

combustion temperature means

frequent replacement of

particulate filter

High levels of stress

on the engine

Sulphur-free diesel required in

most cases

Low-ash oil required

Trucks with

EGR + DPF

Mercedes-Benz Unimog

with BlueTec®

Fuel saving of up to 5 %

Optimised “clean” combustion

No ban on Sunday driving when

used as tractor unit

Off-road capability thanks to single

tyres and chassis concept

Compact dimensions for improved

manoeuvrability when space is tight

High capacity utilisation thanks to

all-season deployment

Old diesel technology with

much higher emissions

Slower operating speed

Higher tyre costs

Higher costs for adapting

implements for road

maintenance services

No platform for payload

or grit

Up to 40 % lower fuel con-

sumption and CO2 emissions

Higher transport speed

up to 90 km/h

Better transport performance

Capable of transporting up to 3

people with a much higher level

of ride comfort

High capacity utilisation thanks

to all-season deployment

Ecofriendly: Unimog with Euro 5. Job done!

therefore the most economical and ecofriendly implement carrier in its class. As proven by inde-pendent tests conducted by relevant institutions and confirmed by the statements and positive experiences of Unimog drivers covering an ex-tremely wide range of applications.The Unimog system has many benefits. The unique implement carrier concept, with up to

four attachment and mounting areas, makes the Unimog efficient and effective as well as saving the need for additional vehicles and operations. Unimog vehicles can be used flexibly for many tasks all year round and are more mobile on any terrain. These advantages pay off as it is ultimate-ly not just the purchase price that is a deciding factor for the operator. Equally important are the system and lifecycle costs, which are much lower for the Unimog than for agricultural tractors, for example. Mercedes-Benz was keen to find out the exact figures and so commissioned the technol-ogy and equipment testing centre at the German Agricultural Society (DLG) to conduct an inde-pendent analysis. The tests – fuel consumption when performing transport work and when mow-ing roadside vegetation – revealed the Mercedes-Benz Unimog to be the clear winner:•Ifacomparabletractorisdrivenatthesame speed as a Unimog U 400, the tractor consu- mes 13 litres more fuel per hour on average.•Ifthevehiclesareoperatedfor10,000hours, the tractor costs approx. 195,000 more than a Unimog (13 l x 10,000 h x 1.50/litre of diesel).

Superior: the Unimog system – easily the most economical solution when compared to trucks with engines featuring exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a diesel particulate filter (DPF) as well as when compared to tractors, many of which are still fitted with conventional drive systems

17

Euro 5Euro 4

Euro 3Euro 2Euro 1Euro 0

02468

10121416

g/kWh

1990 19931992/

19961995/

20012000/

2006

2009

The percentage drop between 1990 and 2009 is more

than impressive

Nitrogen oxides (NO2) Reduction of 86 %

Carbon monoxide (CO) Reduction of 87 %

Hydrocarbons (HC) Reduction of 81 %

Particle emissions (PM) Reduction of 94 %

Highly impressive: emissions reduced drastically by up to 94 percent since 1990

The Unimog is therefore more ecological and more economical. This result is down to benefits such as:– low fuel consumption (up to 40 % lower)– long service intervals and long service life– high resale value– low tyre wear– multi-functional all-season deployment, saving the need to use other vehicles– fast and easy implement changes thanks to integrated and standardised interfaces– high operating and transport speeds– unique environmental and safety standards that are already included in the purchase price– costs incurred for adapting commonly used additional implements to the tractor are not a factor as the Unimog is generally already designed for these. The facts and figures drawn from the comparisons therefore speak in favour of the Mercedes-Benz Unimog, which proves unbeatable on an almost daily basis.Further information about this topic can be obtained from: Daimler AG, Product Division Special-Purpose Vehicles, Marketing/Communication, 76742 Wörth am Rhein, Germany ■

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unimog 1 · 2009 · TeChnOLOgY

18 runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

PLuS POinTS— The first look in the morning is out of the window. What will the weather be like today? The answer to this question determines how the day will pan out. If it stays dry, it‘ll be wage work on fields and meadows. If it‘s wet, transport work will be on the agenda, for exam-ple. Each activity has to be planned precisely so that it pays off. Franz Aigner is an independent haulage contractor from Chiemsee in Upper Ba-varia. Four employees, a Unimog U 400, wheel loader, excavator, truck – his operation is well prepared for work in this mountainous region. The 42-year-old is pleased to have the Unimog on his side: for transport logistics and jobs in the agricultural sector. The advantages, he laughs, are obvious: with a top speed of up to 90 km/h, the Unimog is much faster than any tractor. Then there is the high level of versatility. Aigner: “We can offer a lower price, just because we are quick-er – it‘s simply a winning argument.” In agricul-ture, Aigner has regular customers who swear by the Unimog. Firstly because of the impres-

Customers swear by the UnimogContractors who work for the public sector or in agriculture have to be precise with their calculations. So it‘s good if the unimog can be factored into the

equation – in terms of both economy and ecology – not least thanks to BlueTec®. it is ideally equipped to meet all statutory requirements regarding redu-

ced emissions.

sive tyre pressure control system, which allows Aigner to vary the inflation pressure between 1.8 bar for driving unladen and 3.5 bar: “It protects the turf”. Some farmers watch him closely when he silages the mown grass laid in rows. Some 41 blades rotate to pick up the grass and cut it down to just four centimetres. His trailer holds 54 m3. Aigner gets through some 90 daily tasks per day, although this number can be as high as 120. In this case, one hectare is equivalent to around 3.3 daily tasks. To work efficiently and make the job pay, the Bavarian starts at 6 a.m. if the weather is fine, sometimes carrying on until midnight. There are no set working times in agriculture. Nor for the Unimog, grins Aigner. There‘s just no downtime. He looks up to the skies again. Will there be rain? That would be frustrating for the farmers but no problem for Aigner, who could switch to the next job: transporting excavators and cranes for an earthworks company as well as taking away excavated earth. Of course, says Aigner, a truck could theoretically do all of this

as well. But most trucks are too long, too wide, too high and too unmanoeuvrable for his jobs. Plus their driving speeds are not variable enough to operate the implements. The decision to buy a new Unimog two years ago was an easy one: “I grew up with the Unimog. It‘s a bond that will never be broken.” It was in 1959 that his father purchased his first Unimog for working on roads, among other things for grading the road to the family‘s own alpine pasture. Now, around 50 years on, Aigner junior has continued the fam-ily tradition by spending six weeks filling exactly the same road, which now leads to the mountain cabin managed by his sister, with gravel. Help-ing him with this job was another Unimog driver from the Traunstein area: Hubert Haßlberger, a bio farmer based in nearby Oberwössen. Like-wise with a Euro 4-compliant Unimog U 400 pur-chased in 2008. The ecofriendly philosophy and the technical attributes of the Unimog are per-fectly in keeping with his own ecological stance, says the owner of 20 dairy cows. He spends two

Ideally equipped: the Unimog U 400 with trailer. Against the backdrop of the Upper Bavarian mountains, the mown grass is chopped and transported to the collecting point

19

thirds of his working hours on his farm, the re-mainder on contract jobs, primarily municipal services. When working, the man from Upper Bavaria appreciates the Unimog‘s efficient trans-port capability and sees only benefits in using AdBlue with the BlueTec® diesel technology. The SCR exhaust gas aftertreatment system converts the nitrogen oxides (NOx) into harmless nitro-gen and water – a crucial factor for bio farmers. The performance of the ecofriendly technologies in the Mercedes-Benz Unimog is also doubtless appreciated by his customers in the public sec-tor, especially in the case of work on river beds. After all, he does exactly what the legislation de-mands, with first-class results, and he displays the green badge allowing the vehicle to be driven in inner-city low-emission zones. As an ecologi-cally aware farmer, Haßlberger likes to keep pace with technological developments, such as the Euro 5 standard, which calls for the removal of up to 80 percent of all nitrogen oxides and up to 40 percent of particulate emissions compared to Euro 4 through optimised and clean combustion.

Aigner is also pleased with the much lower fuel consumption: when working, on the farm in par-ticular, he can reckon on 17 to 20 litres per hour. When performing transport work, meanwhile, his Unimog U 400 developing 280 hp consumes 26 to 28 litres per 100 kilometres. “A truck drinks 40 litres and has an output of 480 hp, but I don‘t

need this extra power for my trips, so the Unimog is definitely the better option for me.” Another plus point: with 1500 operating hours per year, the purchase price for the Unimog only accounts for 10 to 15 percent of the lifecycle costs. ■

Driving and working with BlueTec® diesel technology: haulage contractor Franz Aigner (left) and bio farmer Hubert Haßlberger

unimog 1 · 2009 · COnTraCTOrS

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Ehranger Straße 101

D-54293 Trier

vertrieb@werner-trier.com

www.werner-trier.com

Tel.: +49 (0) 651 6867-124

Fax.: +49 (0) 651 64146

Postfach 8051

D-54181 Trier

Unimogstraße 1

76571 Gaggenau

Winch, compressor, hydraulic outrigger,Platforms or crane? Or all together?Werner arranged that all devices are perfectlybe installed and perfectly matched.

20 runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

Start of spring on the Riedberg Pass“The Riedberg Pass is only passable with snow chains.“ This message is often heard on the regional radio stations, even in march. obermaiselstein in the admi-

nistrative district of oberallgäu, the starting point of germany‘s highest mountain pass, gets another heavy snowfall on 20 march, the beginning of astronomic-

al spring. The oA 9 district road is wet with rain, but severe winter conditions are encountered just after the tunnel.

SnOW-CLearing OPeraTiOnS— Hardly sur-prising as this road with an uphill gradient of up to 16 percent and surrounded by mountains leads to the Balderschwang valley – “Bavarian Siberia”. From Balderschwang, the highest per-manently inhabited community in Germany, the road continues to Hittisau in the Bregenzerwald region of Austria. It wasn‘t all that long ago – at the beginning of the 20th century – that the area was still only inhabited in the summer, when cat-tle grazed on the surrounding alpine pastures. You turn onto the Oberallgäu (OA) No. 9 district road – measuring around 28 km in length and traversing the Hörnergruppe mountains – from the B 19 road at Fischen in the Allgäu region. This road links Illertal in Germany with the Aus-trian section of the Bregenzer Ach river, which flows into Lake Constance. There are just five

Alpine passes in Germany: Ammersattel 1118 m, Oberjoch Pass 1178 m, Riedberg Pass 1420 m, Spitzingsattel 1128 m and Sudelfeld Pass 1097 m. Most of the more than 210 Alpine passes (above 1000 m) that are passable by vehicle are in Italy, although France has the highest with the Col de l’Iseran (2770 m).The height and history of the Riedberg Pass may seem modest compared to this hitlist of Alpine passes, but it is very important for the small re-gion in the Allgäu Alps. Construction work on a 5-metre wide Alpine route began on 1 August

1956. The building contractor back then was the privately owned Alpine Road Association of Obermaiselstein-Balderschwang. Those using the road therefore had to pay a toll for many years. It was to take a further 15 years before it became a public district road leading to Balderschwang. In the beginning, of course, the times at which this Alpine pass could be crossed by vehicle were lim-ited as it only remained open if its owners (farm-ers, forest owners, cattle owners) arranged to have the snow cleared in winter. When its status was elevated to that of a public district road, mean-

Spring welcome: snowflakes dancing in Obermaiselstein (Oberallgäu)

Power pack: the Unimog U 1650 with Schmidt snow blower “eats” through the well over one-metre high blanket of snow at the pass summit (bottom right)

View of the Alpine world from the Riedberg Pass: the imposing, almost 2000-metre high Gottesackerwände mountain at the border with the Bregenzerwald region with the 2533-metre high Widderstein mountain in Kleinwalser-tal (right)

ing that road-maintenance services became an obligation, the Mercedes-Benz municipal trucks operated by the Sonthofen Roads Authority and the Unimog, already a legendary snow clearer on mountain passes, were called into action. Michael Stetter from Obermaiselstein, now dep-uty manager for the Roads Authority, where he has worked since 1975, still clearly remembers when road-maintenance services fi rst started on the Riedberg Pass. “This task was always a challenge for us as the Hörnergruppe mountains – including the Riedberghorn, Bleicher Horn, Hochschelpen, Sipplinger Kopf and Piesenkopf (all between 1500 and 1800 metres high) – and the Balderschwang valley were known to be very snowy. There was hardly any alternative to the Unimog and its design with unique interfaces for the all-year-round tasks on the Riedberg Pass.”

Construction in several stagesThe construction work, on both the Obermai-

selstein side and the Balderschwang side, was completed in several stages. On 5 November 1961, a Mercedes-Benz truck with V-type snowplough was able to cross the pass for the fi rst time. On 21 December of the same year, the Oberstdorf–Bal-derschwang mail bus line was opened, followed by the offi cial opening on 16 September 1962, marked by a traditional mountain mass at the summit of the pass. Immediately after this, the Obermaiselstein–Balderschwang Alpine Road Association purchased a Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 411 vehicle developing 32 hp (U 32) for use on the Riedberg Pass which, at 1420 metres, is Ger-many‘s highest pass open to public traffi c.

In an “SOS appeal” 40 years ago, the 350 inhab-itants of Balderschwang – also acting on behalf of the 600 to 700 tourists who visited the area at the time – turned to the authorities in the former administrative district of Sonthofen, which is now part of the Oberällgäu administrative dis-trict. Their appeal was worded as follows: “You are aware that our community of Balderschwang has limited access. From the two access roads to Balderschwang, a very narrow road in absolutely terrible condition leads into Austria, crossing the state and customs borders twice. Furthermore, the turnpikes are all closed during the night hours.” The EU and its Schengen Agreement had not even been envisaged at this time.

Friday, 20 March 2009, 7.30 a.m.: it has been snowing extremely heavily for several hours. An employee of the Sonthofen Roads Authority working at the Obermaiselstein support point remarks resignedly: “Snow is beautiful, but not

all year round.” Even the people of the Allgäu region, who are well used to snow, have clearly had enough of the bright white blanket. The Mercedes-Benz Axor 1833, equipped with a Küp-per-Weiser gritter extension and Beilhack snow-plough, has already come back from a second trip along the pass to Balderschwang 20 km away.

Powerful snow-clearing trioThe road, used by more than 3000 vehicles

every day, is already “cleared”. Now a complete snow-clearing team in a powerful trio of vehicles – an Axor 1833, a Unimog U 1650 and a Unimog U 400, both of the latter with snowplough and grit-ter extension – will set off towards the Riedberg Pass, Balderschwang and the Vorarlberg/Austri-an border to fi nish off the job and battle against the masses of snow that are falling on this fi rst day of spring. Here, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog vehicles perform the special task of clearing the car parks at the ski lifts and the bus stops. Over two hours later, the road is clear enough for two cars to drive past each other without having to pull into passing places and wait. A long overdue and well-earned snack is taken in a cosy Allgäu inn, where a TV crew from a German broadcast-ing organisation – there by pure coincidence – is quick to recognise that “the huge trucks in front of the door do such a vital job.”

Spring 2009 begins at exactly 12.43 p.m. As if the weather god had thought better of it, it sud-denly stops snowing. There are even patches of blue sky. The fi ne weather gives a clear view of the almost 2000-metre high Gottesackerwände mountain, behind which is the Bregenzerwald region, while the Kleinwalsertal valley lies fur-ther to the south.

Second Alpine pass leading to TirolJust a short while later, with spring 2009 bare-

ly an hour old, a Mercedes-Benz Actros from the Roads Authority leaves the depot laden with grit bound for the Oberjoch Pass. It is just beginning to snow heavily on this high ground... This sec-ond Alpine pass, for which the team in Sonthofen is also responsible, forms part of the German Alpine Road and leads from Hindelang upwards to Oberjoch via around a hundred bends before continuing into the Tannheim valley and on to Tirol. For the team at the Roads Authority, this pass is nothing out of the ordinary. Bends, climbs and a sometimes diffi cult but always beautiful mountain world is part of the everyday for them. It gives you a totally different view of things: when will the tough daily routine of snow clear-ing, which for them began in October of last year, fi nally end? Today is the start of spring but, for the moment, the weather makes it seem like it is still winter. ■

unimog 1 · 2009 · rOad-MainTenanCe SerViCeS 21

Kempten

Sonthofen

Overview

Sonthofen

Austria

Bregenz

Füssen

Lake Constance

Switzerland

Oberstdorf

Fischen

HittisauRiedberg Pass

Allgäu

Bavaria

Dornbirn

Hittisau

Hindelang

Balderschwang1420

Tirol

Oberjoch Pass1180

ObermaiselsteinRiedberg Pass

ObermaiselsteinObermaiselstein

Technology leaderThe Right mix leads the competition with tipper road trains on an Actros base

BuLK gOOdS— By buying five Actros tippers with top specifications the South African trans-port company The Right Mix is responding to the growing need for coal transporters in and around the Mpumalange Mine. The Actros 3344s have state-of-the-art technology, fitted with Mercedes PowerShift, Voith retarders and Telligent Lane

Assist. Shaun Sajiawan, Operations Director at The Right Mix: “We have decided to push our business further ahead through quality. The Ac-tros is the best vehicle in its class. Mercedes Pow-erShift, for example, will help us to save fuel.” The Right Mix is also moving in new directions in the field of fleet management and is the first

South African company to build on FleetBoard. The FleetBoard system is supplemented by the in-cab camera DriveCam. “This combination of FleetBoard and DriveCam enables us to develop driver programmes for individual advancement,” says Sajiawan.

Economical, strong, reliableDetroit Diesel presents new DD13 engine for heavy vocational applications

engine deVeLOPMenT— A new engine completes the modernised product spectrum of Detroit Diesel, a leading heavy-duty engine brand in the American market. Detroit Diesel already launched, the DD15 for heavy-duty commercial vehicles in 2008, and now the DD13 is also available for heavy vocational applications. It benefits in many respects from the technological innovations of the global Heavy-Duty Engine Platform. One of the main features: its fuel economy is up to five per cent better than its predecessor. “We have taken all of the experience from our 70 years of building engines and applied it to the DD13,” says David Siler, Director of Marketing for Detroit Diesel. “It gives our custom-ers what they want: economy, serviceability and performance.”www.detroitdiesel.com

22 daiMLer WOrLdWide · unimog 1 · 2009

Hybrid tippermitsubishi Fuso presents pioneering concept study Canter Eco-D

ShaPing fuTure TranSPOrTaTiOn— With the concept study Canter Eco-D, Mitsubishi Fuso shows its powers of innovation and point the way to the light-duty truck of tomorrow. The tipper presented at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show has a parallel hybrid drive, which makes it both economical and environment-friendly. The concept is based on the Canter Eco Hybrid, which has already been success-fully operated by companies since 2006 in more than 350 vehicles. The basis is a diesel engine with 92 kW (125 hp). It is connected to an electric motor with 35 kW, which serves as an alternator for charging the lithium-ion batteries during brak-ing operations. Furthermore, the electric motor of the Canter Eco-D takes on the lifting and lowering of the tipping body as a power take-off. This function substan-tially lowers exhaust and noise emissions during construction-site operations. The principle opens up additional possibilities for Mitsubishi Fuso to operate further vehicles with special-purpose bodies, such as lifting platforms or crane systems.www.mitsubishifuso.com

On expansion courseuPS South Africa builds on the mercedes-Benz Sprinter

CeP SerViCe— UPS SCS South Africa has chosen the Sprinter for its fleet expansion. Already on the market since 1995, UPS has been able to continuously extend its business and now plans to move into door-to-door delivery with the new vehicles. Thanks to extensive conversions, all 19 Sprinters are exactly tailored to UPS requirements. These include, among other things, additional compartments for the driver’s equip-ment, an automatic illumination of the load area, and a special shelf extension.www.ups.com

Customised specification: For courier, express and parcel delivery service (CEP)

operations, the UPS Sprinters are fitted with numerous additional features

Training programmeWith the initiative “Finish First”, Daimler Trucks north America is launching a new training pro-gramme in order to help meet the future need for technicians. Students who have completed their basic training can participate in Finish First. in the twelve-week programme, they learn how to maintain, diagnose and repair vehicles of the brands Freightliner and Western Star. Following the successful completion of the course, the tech-nicians are offered an attractive entry package.

Canter for VietnamThe launch of the Canter in Vietnam was celeb-rated with a major event in Ho Chi Minh City. The light-duty truck is based on the predecessor model that is well established there and was further improved with respect to safety, reliability, comfort and economy. In 2007, Vietnam was the fastest growing market for Mitsubishi Fuso with a growth of 119 percent to over 3,000 vehicles. What is more, Mitsubishi Fuso is a market leader for commercial vehicles in Southeast Asia.

Promoting quality

Through the First Finish initiative, Daimler Trucks North America

strengthens the company loyalty

of the technicians of tomorrow

Economical, strong, reliable

runningheader · unimog 1 · 2009

Blessed Unimog in the fight against fireThousands of pilgrims visit the Vatopedi monastery on mount Athos in greece every year. only men are allowed to enter the monastery,

often prominent personalities such as Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, or King Juan Carlos of Spain. Since the end of last year, the

holy site has had a new attraction which, when needed, proves to be a blessing: a mercedes-Benz unimog u 5000 with Schlingmann fire-

brigade body.

24

25

fOreST fireS— The island and the monastery are legendary, as are the notorious forest fires in Greece. The Unimog, equipped with a 5000-litre water tank and a 400-litre foam tank, is designed to fight fire attacks and encroaching forest fires. The monks, all declared Unimog fans, have wel-comed the special-purpose vehicle with open arms, according to Zissis Ziogas, Service Director for the Unimog general representative Lainopou-los in northern Greece. A further 20 vehicles are due to be purchased by the start of 2010.The importance of the Unimog on the Chalkidiki peninsular in northern Greece was highlighted at the moving vehicle handover ceremony. Along-side archimandrite Efrem, abbot of the Vatopedi monastery, other Athos monks also came to at-tend the blessing of the U 5000. A moving mo-ment, even for experienced Unimog experts such as Wilfried Benz, Unimog Service Regional Manager, Hermann Radke, Unimog Service Sales Manager, Thorsten Schlingmann, representing the bodybuilder, and Lazaros Politis, managing director of the Unimog general representative in northern Greece. At the ceremony, the abbot pre-sented the guests with the figure of a shepherd with a sheep on his shoulder. An affectionate gesture, which signifies that the highly capable Unimog is more than just a vehicle in the eyes of the orthodox clergymen. The monasteries on Mount Athos have many years of experience with a further 50 or so Uni-mog vehicles, including U 416, U 3000, U 4000 and U 400 units. But for this special assign-ment, the specifications book stipulated special requirements, namely as large a water tank as possible, a low vehicle centre of gravity and a high degree of off-road capability. After all, the highest mountain on the peninsular has an alti-

tude of around 2033 metres and is dominated by inhospitable terrain. Mount Athos, from which the entire peninsular takes its name, is separat-ed from the mainland by a wall and can only be reached by boat. A special visa is required in or-der to enter the republic. There are no roads from the mainland to the island. Because the orthodox monastic republic with autonomous status under Greek sovereignty is effectively cut off from the rest of the world, the monks need to know how to help themselves. And for this they count on the reliable technology and off-road capability of the Unimog from Germany. The basis of the vehicle is provided by the U 5000 chassis with a permissible GVW of 14 tonnes, while the body is kept as low as possible so that the vehi-cle‘s centre of gravity remains below 1.50 metres. The compact dimensions of the vehicle – width 2.37 metres, overall height 3 metres and length 6.60 metres – ensure the necessary manoeuvrabil-ity on the peninsular and in the surrounding for-est areas. In addition to the aforementioned tanks, the Schlingmann body also incorporates two front spray nozzles and a foam/water cannon with an output of 2400 l/min at 8 bar. The 5000-litre wa-ter tank is T-shaped so as to ensure improved axle load distribution.These features meet the monks‘ requirements to the letter. Those who wish to enter the grounds of the over 1100-year-old monastery have to pass through a narrow gate where they walk past the Unimog U 5000. The extinguisher vehicle, equipped by Lower Saxony family company Schlingmann, stands in front of the largest monastery on Mount Athos like a sentry. The other 19 monasteries in the autonomous republic covering 336 square kilo-metres could likewise be counting on the Unimog as a fire-fighting vehicle very soon. ■

Tricky access: hilly forest area for as far as the eye can see around the Vatopedi monastery on the Chalkidiki peninsular in northern Greece (large photo on left)

Ceremonial Unimog handover: with a gift from the monastery – represented by abbot Efrem, project manager Timotheos, and workshop staff Agapios and Nikolaus – to the representatives of Daimler AG, Hermann Radke and Wilfried Benz, and to Thorsten Schlingmann from bodybuilder Schlingmann, with Lazarus Politis and Zissis Ziogas from the Unimog general representative in northern Greece (bottom left)

Ready for action: the Unimog U 5000 in front of the monastery gates on Mount Athos (bottom right)

unimog 1 · 2009 · inTernaTiOnaL

MuSeuM— The Unimog was presented with front- and rear-mounted implements. Rabe sup-plied the plough, Holder provided a vehicle-mounted sprayer for treating crops and Schmotzer contributed a front-mounted hoe. The response to this vehicle was resoundingly positive.The relevant authorities initially categorised this new type of vehicle as a “Special-purpose vehicle for agriculture”. But people could not quite make up their minds: was it a tractor, a truck or some-thing else? So this first newly developed tractor following the end of World War II did not get rec-ognised as an “agricultural tractor” until after almost 10 years of wrangling about registration, road tax, vehicle and liability insurance (use of

exchangeable implements), and cheaper diesel, although the vehicle looked completely different to a normal tractor developed for agricultural and forestry work: all-wheel drive with four same-size wheels, frame-type design, sprung axles, an auxiliary loading area, a cab for two people, three attachment and mounting areas, and a top speed of over 50 km/h etc.Some 60 years have passed since then, making it a fitting time to stage “Unimog and 60 years of ag-riculture” as part of an exhibition at the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau. There are many Unimog vehicles on show, from prototype No. 6 (1948) to the latest addition to the Mercedes-Benz Unimog line-up, the Unimog U 20 (2008). The variety of

application and usage options for the Unimog are impressively presented by the combination of Unimog units and implements from the early days as well as the very latest developments in agricultural technology. Exhibits include devel-opments and applications such as cage wheels and twin tyres for reducing the ground pressure, mowers, implements driven by flat belts, mineral fertilizer spreaders, seed drills, ploughs, culti-vators, the Binger cable pull with implements used predominantly for wine-growing on steeps, and vehicle-mounted sprayers for treating crops – still a highly professional Unimog agricultural application to this day. ■

60 years of Unimog and agriculturein August 1948, the unimog made by Boehringer in göppingen was unveiled to the wider general public as a universally applicable motorised implement at

the DLg (german Agricultural Association) exhibition in Frankfurt/main.

A look inside the Unimog Museum during the opening of the “60 years of Unimog & agriculture” exhibition

Unimog with mounted chopper near the river Murg in Gaggenau (top)

Historical shot from the “Tillage of yesteryear” series by agricultural journalist Wolfgang Schiffer, on display at the museum until 26 October (above)

Always an attraction: the Unimog Museum in Gaggenau (left)

hiSTOrY · unimog 1 · 200926

The principal topic in the Unimog-Museum from April 26th until October 25th 2009

Historic and modern agricultural engineering with respect to the Unimog•TheUnimogincomparisonwitha“Standard-Tractor”•Thedevelopmentof“couple-systems”withgear•The“Bingerseilzug”intheviniculturewithhistoricgear•Presentationofa“potatoepleatingmachine”,refurbished ataUniversityinBerlin•FurthernumerousexhibitsandinformationHistoric presentation of fotos,takenbyWolfgangSchiffer,journalistinthefieldofagriculture“Exhibition of Dioramas”ofToonVersnickLecturesandbookpresentationsPeasant-and Handcraft market,October11th20092nd MBtrac Meeting,October24thand25th2009

Next to the highway B 462 · exit Schloss Rotenfels · 76571 GaggenauTram from Karlsruhe or Freudenstadt, stop Bad Rotenfels SchlossTelephone +49 (0) 72 25/9 81 31-0 · www.unimog-museum.deOpening hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10 am – 5 pm

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April 26th until October 25th 2009

60 years Unimog and agriculture

Compact, manoeuvrable and low in purchase and maintenance costs, this is a vehicle that comes into its own especially, when the going gets tight. With up to 9.3 tonnes gross vehicle weight, a wheelbase of just 2.7 metres and a turning circle of only 12.6 metres, the Unimog U 20 will always clear the way. A clearing width of 2.5 metres in combination with a pre-wetted salt spreader with a capacity of 1.4 cubic metres makes for long-distance gritting runs. Now available from your Unimog dealer or at: www.mercedes-benz.com/new-U20

Its greatness: narrow streets The new Mercedes-Benz Unimog U 20

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081030_Winter_210x280_RZ-sprachen.indd 1 30.10.2008 13:33:43 Uhr