Mobile machines for Europes roads

UNIMOGJOURNAL

1/20

01

Mer

cede

s-B

enz

Fit for Europe without restriction

US companys giant project

It all began on June 3, 1951

Unimog moves to Wrth 18

Fighting forest fires in Greece 19

The wide world 19

Presented by:

Published by:DaimlerChrysler AG, Unimog Product Division

Publishing responsibility:Dieter Sellnau, Unimog Product Division

Coordination:Martin Adam, Unimog Product Division

Editorial advisory committee:Martin Adam, Dieter Mutard, Karin Weidenbacher

Contributors to this issue:Text: Michael Brettnacher, Stefan Loeffler/Dieter Mutard (DWM), Photos: DWM Pressebro and Verlag, Michael Brettnacher,

Unimog Product DivisionTranslation: Colin Brazier, Munich

Address of editorial office:DaimlerChrysler AG, Unimog Product Division, Sales and Marketing, 76568 Gaggenau, Germany

Complete production:Dieter Mutard DWM Pressebro and Verlag, Ringstr. 11, 89081 Ulm,Germany, Tel. +49 (0) 731/9 62 89-0, Fax +49 (0) 731/9 62 89-30

The next issue will be published in the autumn of 2001.The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited copy or photographs.Printed on paper bleached without chlorine.Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany

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O u r t i t l e p i c t u r e s

From universal agricultural vehicle to

multiple talent from Mercedes-Benz 3

Compact and flexible 10

Working on the rails 13

E d i t o r i a l

U N I S C O P E

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

S a l e s o r g a n i s a t i o n

UNIMOG HOMEPAGE:www.mercedes-benz.com/d/ecars/unimog/default.htm

Fit for Europe without restriction 4-7

Increasing success on Europes roads 8-9

Unimog for the land of hi-tech 12

Building sizzling Manhattan 14-15

Denmark: up and away with the Unimog 16

Great Britain: a convincing rescue vehicle 17

Finland: an interesting configuration 17

In less than a year thenew-generation

Unimogs have madetheir mark in Europe as

versatile equipmentcarriers. Our report on

pages 8 and 9 describeshow customers in

Germany, Poland andTurkey are using them

Daimler-Benz AG took over the Unimog on June 1,1951 from the Gebr. Boehringer mechanical engineer-ing company in Gppingen, and by July 10th of thatyear the hundredth vehicle had already left theassembly line in Gaggenau. This historic anniversaryand many subsequent Unimog development stagesare described in a special supplement to this issue

The weather is cold and rainy,but despite these hardships,workers from the Montagewerkcompany of Leipzig are busyconstructing new plant for theUS company Dow Chemical inTerneuzen, Netherlands. TwoUnimog U 400s equipped withPalfinger cranes are helping toload and unload the heavysections of pipePages 14 and 15

Many demonstrations of winter-service equipment andactual operating sessions have convinced customers and

users of the U 300, U 400 and U 500 in France, Italy,Germany, Switzerland and Austria. On Frances second-

highest Alpine pass, a demonstration turned into a genuineclearing task overnight as a snowstorm roared down the Col

du Galibier. Pages 4 to 7

our close cooperation for many yearswith selected equipmentmanufacturers, our equipment-systempartners, who constantly come up withproduct innovations that take changesin market needs into account. Theirwork makes the users task lighter,particular in the provision of communalservices, and help them to keep theircosts low.

A look at the Unimog Product Division(known by its German initials PBU) ,although topical, has to be more than asimple historical retrospective. In recentyears and once again only a short timeago we have taken forward-lookingstrategic decisions aimed at boosting thesuccess of our Unimog business evenfurther: The new Unimog U 300, U 400 and

U 500 model series are now on theEuropean market as implement carriers,and from March next year onwards, weshall be offering the U 500 for sale inNorth America as well.

As well as introducing the new UnimogU 300 to U 500 models, we have intensi-fied our cooperation with selectedequipment manufacturers. For aneconomically viable solution, thevehicle and its attachments must beperfectly matched. This can onlysucceed if the interfaces are standar-dised. A convincing example of this isthe add-on road sweeper, on which wereport in this issue of the Journal.

The world-famous classic Unimogs have been modernised so that we cancontinue to offer them in chassis formfor transport tasks over rough terrain.

Transfer of Unimog activities from Gaggenau to Wrth will enable theformer plant to be devoted to its newtask as a competence centre for manual-shift gearboxes, planetary-hub axlesand other vehicle components.

Dr. Klaus Maier, Manager of the DaimlerChrysler Mercedes-Benz Trucksbusiness division of which the UnimogProduct Division is a part, and myself asthe person responsible for the PBU talked

3

Hans-Jrgen Wischhof:Moving production toWrth will make us evenmore competitive

From universal agricultural vehicle tomultiple talent from Mercedes-Benz

E d i t o r i a l

What were the prospects for Germanyif condemned to be an agricultural state atthe end of the Second World War? AlbertFriedrich, former head of Daimler-Benzsaircraft engine development work, con-sidered this problem and came up with anidea for an all-purpose agricultural mach-ine. This was the origin of a vehicle thatoccupies a unique place in automotive his-tory: the Unimog.

The Unimog moved around SouthGermany several times before it came toGaggenau in 1951, initially to the gold andsilverware factory run by Erhard & Sons inSchwbisch Gmnd, later to the Gebr. Boeh-ringers mechanical engineering factory inGppingen. On June 9th and 10th, 2001, wecan therefore celebrate the Unimogs 50thanniversary in Gaggenau. A special supple-ment has been produced to accompany thisissue of UNIMOG JOURNAL. The innu-merable friends and enthusiasts that take aclose interest in this universal motor de-vice (the source of the German name) willbe glad to study this fully detailed accountof all the Unimog model series built from1948 to the present day. (Incidentally, thesupplement also reveals who first sugges-ted the name!)

The Unimog soon became anindispensable aid in many branches oftrade and industry, market segments andtask areas. Apart from agriculture andforestry, it is to be found hard at worktoday for local authorities in all seasons ofthe year, in the construction and energysupply industries, for fighting forest firesand for rescue work. Last but not least,there are Unimogs with rail-wheel attach-ments acting as shunters and locomotives,a task at which they excel just as much aswhen used on the road.

The main factors that have made theUnimog so successful in these fifty yearsare: customer loyalty all over the world the Unimog sales organisation, with its

expertise in system business mattersand its competent support for machinesand equipment

to our staff at various information eventsand workforce meetings in March this yearand explained why transfer of our Unimogactivities to Wrth in the Rhineland-Pala-tinate region of Germany (40 kilometresfrom Gaggenau) can only benefit ourfuture development. After this move weshall have joint access to the facilities ofEuropes largest truck factory.

This will create synergy effects andenhance our economic viability at a sitethat is ideal for our Unimog businessneeds.

The move will have no adverse effectson the support we offer to our customers,nor with our cooperation with outsidesuppliers and the specific Unimog salesnetwork. Since most PBU employees willtransfer to Wrth, we shall be able toensure continuity in every importantbusiness process.

I am convinced that moving to Wrthwill prove to be a further landmark in theUnimogs continuing success story andwill put us in a position to compete morestrongly than ever before.

UNIMOGJOURNAL

4 UNIMOGJOURNAL

St.Anton

Trentino

Wallis

Col du Galibier

Apenin

Germany

AustriaSwitzerland

France

Italy

The first winter of the new Series U 300/U 400/U 500model era. Practical tests and demonstrations were

conducted in various places to demonstrate thesevehicles performance potential. Unimog equipment-

system partners from Germany, Italy and France of course

provided their support.

A whole series of presentation eventsand practical tests was undertaken withthe new Unimog models in various West-ern European countries to demonstratetheir competence and versatility on winterservice work. The locations ranged fromthe World Ski Championships in St. Antonam Arlberg to a practical demonstration toexperts from the Swiss Army on a totallysnowbound military airfield in Valais.There were also well-organised winter-service demonstrations in the Italian,French and Bavarian Alps, reports onwhich are given below.

The event held by DaimlerChryslerFrance, with ten Unimogs and six trucks(Atego and Actros) on the notorious Coldu Galibier pass (2,645 m above sealevel), part of the Route des GrandesAlpes, from Grenoble and the Brianonnaisregion to St. Michel-de-Maurienne, provedto be highly realistic and thoroughlyprofessional in every respect. Two of thethree technical display days enjoyed

glorious springlikesunshine over thepeaks of the Massif dela Vanoise, but the lastday reverted to thetough reality of winter.Instead of a routinedemonstration the callwas for winter emer-gency service. Snowblew in horizontallines across thesecond-highest Alpinepass, which in summeroften presents a tough challenge to Tour deFrance riders.

In view of severeavalanche warnings,

Fit for Europewithout restriction

DWM Graphic

5UNIMOGJOURNAL

special police permission was neededbefore the new Unimogs were permittedto clear the pass highway up to an altitudeof about 2,000 metres. Experts from localauthorities and road maintenance officeswho had been invited to this event de-clared themselves most convinced by thevehicle and attachment concepts and theway they performed.

More than 500 customers from Franceand nearby Italy. but also from Great Britain, Belgium and Switzerland,accepted our invitation and were clearlyimpressed by the Unimogs reliability andsheer versatility. This event was also thesuccessful premiere for the U 500, themost powerful model of the newgeneration, as its advantages could bedemonstrated under hard and realisticconditions.

(continued on page 6)

At the foot of the mighty Grand Galibier (3229 m) in the Western Alps, the winter-servicemachines and their crews waited their turn to perform (photo on previous page). Then came

an opportunity to tackle winter clearance tasks for real: the ten Unimogs with their bladeand rotary snowploughs and spreaders from various equipment manufacturers were able to

prove their worth in realistic conditions (photos on this page)

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

6 UNIMOGJOURNAL

The French sales subsidiarys slogan,developed in agreement with theequipment-system partners, was Donnezlui les outils, il fera le reste (Give themthe tools and they will do the job). It was wholeheartedly confirmed!

After this successful event in the Savoyregion, Jean-Emile Martin, Head ofUnimog-Sales in France, said: Cooperationwith our equipment partners such asArvel, Sicometal, Schmidt France andGiletta and Assaloni from Italy works verywell. We hope to establish even morecontacts with new customers as theequipment manufacturers know the smallsector of local-authority users and theirrequirements very thoroughly. The newUnimog generation turns out to be partic-ularly suitable for this partnership as thepotential for attachments, the new powerhydraulics and the overall concept with

The Unimog and its various winter-serviceattachments are an ideal, powerful

combination for all weather conditions

Jean-Emile Martin, Head of Unimog Sales inFrance

the exceptionally impressive VarioPilottechnology have all proved their worth inthis first winter-service season.

Jean-Emile Martin adds, Our goal is totake advantage of the customers positiveattitude towards the UGN. Here in France,the new vehicle generation with its attrac-tive design and its numerous andextended usage options is very wellreceived, so now we have to convince ourcustomers and prospects of the UGNseconomical performance. It has becomeobvious again and again that the newpower hydraulics and good value formoney are effective sales points.Mercedes-Benz Frances statement on thenew Unimog, Nouvel Unimog porte-utilspolyvalent & multi-fonctions, describesall the advantages of this comprehensivesystem, and these were all demonstratedimpressively on the Col du Galibier.

7UNIMOGJOURNAL

Rotary snowplough testing in Valais with the U 400

In the Upper Valais community of Ulrichen on the River Rhne,not far from the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen Alpine passes, theSwiss general agent Robert Aebi AG of Zrich organised a full-scale rotary snowplough test in February this year, with the U 400as the carrier vehicle. The attachments came from local manufac-turer Zaugg and German importer Schmidt from St. Blasien. The event was highly praised by the experts who attended.

Unimog support for World Ski Championships

The Austrian Unimog general agent, Georg PappasAutomobil AG of Salzburg, supplied the town of St.Anton am Arlberg with two Unimogs for the durationof the Alpine ski championship event. A U 300 and aU 400 (photos) with full winter-service equipment were seconded temporarily to the towns machinefleet, which has made use of Unimogs for communaltasks for many years now. The Unimog fleet faced itstoughest challenge when the event threatened to drown in new snow and long delays occurred beforethe racing could continue.

Unimog show in the Italian mountains

To launch the new-generation Unimog models in Italy our col-leagues from Unimog Sales led by Guido Corradi decided on athree-stage strategy. First of all an information and presentationevent was held last June for the main reference customers (wereported on this in the 2/2000 issue). Next, five winter-servicedemonstrations (photos above) were organised, and halfwaythrough the current year the new models will be demonstratedwith summer-service equipment and the attachments needed tocombat forest fires. From January to mid-March five new Unimogs with equipmentsupplied by the Italian equipment-system partners Assaloni andGiletta were in action at the winter-service events organised byDaimlerChrysler Italia; more than 800 decision-makers from 300local authorities attended. The events were held in Corno alle Scale (Bologna), Sappada (Trient), Prato Nevoso (Piedmont), onMount Etna (Sicily) and in Campo Imperatore (Abruzzi) .

8 UNIMOGJOURNAL

Increasing success on Europes roads

More and more European

communal authorities are

adding the latest Series

U 300, U 400 and U 500

Unimogs to their machinery

fleets for work on the roads.

Recent customers include

the Turkish capital of Ankara

and the Federal German

states of Mecklenburg-

Vorpommern, Brandenburg

and Baden-Wrttemberg.

Clean Team for AnkaraIn the autumn of 2000 the Unimog

Product Division, together with itsTurkish sales partner Koluman MotorluAraclar A.S. in Balgat, near the capitalcity of Ankara, received an order for 39 U400 equipment carriers. The completeorder also included add-on attachmentsand superstructures from Unimog equip-ment-system partners Bucher-Schrling,Leistikow, Mulag Schmidt Vertriebs GmbHand Schmidt Winterdienst undKommunaltechnik. All these Unimogs areequipped with front-end sweepers, saltspreaders and snowploughs and there-

fore ideally equipped to put things right ifAnkaras roads need attention.

One of the attachments is a brand-newdesign: the Unifant 50 swap-body sweeperfrom the Bucher-Schrling company,which can pick up from the road on eitherside and can sweep along the left or rightsides of the road. Some of the new vehicles are also equipped with rotarysnowplough and drain cleaningattachments. All 39 Unimogs have thenew VarioPower hydraulics and VarioPilotchangeover steering. The customer, theGreater Municipality of Ankara PublicAuthority, has the task of maintaining themain traffic routes and access roads inand around the Turkish capital, with atotal length of 1,504 kilometres; severalvehicles are used at once to sweep or clearthese highways, covering either two, threeor four lanes.

Eastern Germany chooses UnimogMore and more local authorities in East-

ern Germany have decided that the latestUnimog technology suits their needs. TheRoad Construction and Transport Office inthe German State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, for instance, has purchasedten U 300 and U 400 models that will beallocated to the local road service officesin Gstrow, Neustrelitz and Stralsund forall-the-year-round use. One Unimog U 400is intended specifically for winter servicework on the Hamburg - Berlin autobahn.The Federal German State of Brandenburghas also chosen the Unimog for its high-way duties. Dieter Krger, the authorityschief equipment officer, is convinced thatthe Unimog will give him and his collea-gues what they need: Our Unimogs do

the hard work, and theres no alternativeto them! Departmental Director PetraMansfeld, confirms this: The Unimogoffers us the economic incentive of beingsuitable for all-the-year-round use. The U 500 is a vehicle that matches ourdemand specification exactly. This youngwoman runs a major local-governmentdepartment with a staff of 560 and isobliged to exercise close control over herinvestment budget, which is becoming increasingly limited. We have to draw upour entire investment plans so that thevehicles and equipment can be utilised asintensively as possible.

Baden-Wrttemberg favoursrationalisationThe government offices in Stuttgart maybe a long distance from Brandenburg, atthe other end of Germany, but the sameproblems have to be faced: how to ration-alise equipment and operate it more cost-effectively. This trend has now led to atotally new development in the equipmentsector. The state authorities were con-sidering one-person operation of Unimogsequipped with mowers, whereupon Hans-Jrg Schell, who is responsible for roadconstruction and operation in Stuttgart,came up with an alternative proposal: tocontinue with two-person operation but tocombine the embankment mower on each vehicle with a tandem mower.Unimog equipment-system partner Mulagset to and developed a combined TRIOmower with MKM 700 and MHU 800units. Hans-Jrg Schell is pleased with theresults: Today we are able to perform this workmore efficiently. The combined

9UNIMOGJOURNAL

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

implements in conjunction with the newpower hydraulics on the U 400 have madethe whole procedure very much morestraightforward.World Bank helps Poland to purchase Unimogs

As part of a transport infrastructureimprovement programme in Poland, theWorld Bank invited tenders throughout

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

U 400 hard at work with Mulag TRIO MKM 700 and MHU 800

mowers. From his seat the second memberof the crew can watch and control the

mowing work. Operation of the combinedattachment has become much easier

thanks to the TastTronic device integratedinto the mulching head, which is self-regu-

lating when in action.

Europe for winter-service carrier vehicles.The Unimog Product Division was able tosecure this order despite internationalcompetition. The 30 Type U 1650 vehicleswill be allocated to Polands long-distancehighway administration. All are equippedwith front and rear power take-off shafts,crawler gearboxes and dual-circuithydraulics.

10 UNIMOGJOURNAL

When space is at apremium on the

construction site or roughterrain has to be

negotiated, the Mercedes-Benz Unimog is in its

element. This was clearfrom the carrier vehicles on

display at this yearsbauma, the international

exhibition for constructionmachinery and equipment.

The use of vehicle-mounted cranes is asignificant factor in the construction indu-stry. The Unimog Product Division had twoexhibits with crane superstructures at thebauma (photos above and bottom right).Many visitors also wanted to see how thechangeover steering works

The Unimog stars in the constructionmachinery world. 390,000 visitors crowdedthe aisles at the bauma this year, and thenew equipment carriers were greatlyadmiredCompact and flexible

Once again the capital of GermanysFree State of Bavaria was the focus of inte-rest in the international constructionindustry. More than 390,000 visitors from152 countries turned up during the seven-day exhibition period atwhat was

formerly Riem airportand is now a modern exhibition

centre. Hundreds of cranes and excavatorbooms reached up into a blue-and-whiteBavarian sky on the vast open-air site.Mercedes-Benz was to be found in Hall

B4; this was the first bauma at which theUnimog Product Division had beenpresent alongside the companys trucksand vans. The stand was neatly laid outwith plenty of space round the exhibits sothat visitors could see them without hasteand hustle.

The well-informed public took a closeinterest in the U 500 with Werner front-end generator and Palfinger PK 21.000crane, and also in a U 400 with Sderasphalt cutter and water tank, an MPSclearer-sweeper from SchmidtWinterdienst und Kommunaltechnik anda HIAB 035-2 crane with clamshell grab.An undoubted visual highlight was mostdefinitely the demonstration of the newUnimog cab with VarioPilot changeoversteering. At times, the steering wheel andpedals seemed to be almost constantly onthe move! On the nearby open-air site, the

Unimog Product Division presented a U 400 with hydraulic winch from theWerner company and HIAB 166E-4 Hiprocrane from HIAB, and also a U 300 withWerner compressor and ematec M 215excavator. One thing was demonstrated very clearlyby our participation in the 2001 bauma:the new Unimog is a most versatilemember of any companys fleet a profes-sional equipment carrier, all-terrain trans-port and powerful towing vehicle all inone.

11UNIMOGJOURNAL

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

AAllwwaayyss aatt mmaaxxiimmuummIts so easy with the CCLLUUTTCCHHMMAATTEE

Less strain on the driver, less wear on the machine

It is quick and easy to fit

It requires no modifications to existing mechanisms

It does not affect the licensing of the vehicle in any way

It has no effect on any mechanical auxiliaries or hydraulics

It is ideal for use with implements and attachments

It might even allow a disabled person to be employed

TTVV aapppprroovveedd

CCLLUUTTCCHHMMAATTEE pprrootteeccttss mmaann aanndd mmaacchhiinnee

Have you ever thought about how much strain is put on a Unimog drivers left knee,

and how often it happens?

Depending on the type of work he might have to press the clutch up to three thousand times a day.

And because human knees vary in strength and load capacity, serious injuries are always occurring.

Sometimes it means that a driver is off work for a while, but it could even lead to

permanent incapacity.

Because it reduces physical strain and protects

knees and backs

It is ideal when stuck in traffic jams and city traffic

It works like a semi-automatic transmission

It allows drivers to concentrate more on the traffic

and the job in hand

WWhhyy cchhoooossee CCLLUUTTCCHHMMAATTEE??

SSuuppppllyy aanndd iinnssttaallllaattiioonn bbyy UUnniimmoogg ddiissttrriibbuuttoorrss oonnllyy::

T.C. Systems bv, Schelmseweg 1, 6816 PA Arnhem NLTel: +31/2 64 42 23 43 Fax: +31/2 64 45 8136 AAuuttoommaattiicc ccoouupplliinngg

Fim!!!

1212

Unimog for the land of hi-tech

A representative of the American auto-mobile press was baffled when he wasshown just a small collection of potentialUnimog applications. Such versatility isan everyday thing in Europe one andthe same basic vehicle at work in theenergy-supply and constructionindustries, for rescue services and publicauthorities, in the fire service etc. But inthe USA, despite its reputation as a hi-tech country, this situation is unknown.Some other jaws may drop too in NorthAmerica before long, because FreightlinerLLC, a wholly-owned DaimlerChryslersubsidiary, is about to start selling theU 500 through its dealer network.

In the USA and Canada the UnimogU 500 equipment carrier will be badgedas a Freightliner, with the firefightingversions sold under the brand logo ofAmerican LaFrance, a 100 % Freightlinersubsidiary, as an addition to thatcompanys range of firefighting vehicles,which has a high reputation.

The main Unimog applications inNorth America are likely to be for fightingforest fires, using suitable add-on equip-ment from American LaFrance. Disasterrescue work, but also community dutiesand the tasks carried out by energysupply companies are other likely opera-

ting areas. American experts also seegood prospects for the combined rail/roadversion.

The market launch in North Americabegan this spring with the Europeanversion of the U 500. Early in 2002 aversion specifically adapted for NorthAmerican market needs will follow.

A series of modifications have beennecessary to enable the vehicle to comply

The Unimog sold on theNorth American marketwill display these twobadges.

The American face ofthe Unimog

MexicoMexico

CanadaCanada

DWM Graphic

US tradition infirefighting

vehicle design:AmericanLaFrance

with American and Canadian constructionand use regulations and to satisfy custo-mers requirements. They mainly concernthe cab, the brakes and the engine/ elec-tronics, but a suitable vehicle diagnosticsystem has also had to be developed.

DaimlerChryslers American teams arefull of praise for what they describe as atough, compact vehicle, provenworldwide. According to Freightliner,this is the image that the made inGermany Unimog enjoys. TheFreightliners President emphasised theprospects for the Unimog on the NorthAmerican market in the following words:The Unimog will open up newdimensions for us in the all-wheel-driveequipment carrier segment.

The Freightliner Unimog for NorthAmerica is to be built in Gaggenau,moving later to the plant in Wrth.

UNIMOGJOURNAL

13UNIMOGJOURNAL 13

S a l e s o r g a n i s a t i o n

A major construction site on the newhigh-speed rail route from Cologne to theRhine-Main area of Germany. Soon ultra-modern ICE trains will whisk passengersin comfort and above all at extremely highspeeds between the principal cities.Construction work has been in progressfor some months, and flexibility is thekeyword. The Perzl company worked on a60-kilometre long section of the routefrom March 2000 to February 2001. In thewords of General Manager Stieb: Weoften had to move from one working siteto another several times a day. The terrainwas very difficult, and we were extremelyglad to have the services of our UnimogU 1400. Peter Perzl GmbH, a companybased in Leutenbach/Nellmersbach nearStuttgart, has specialised in the install-

Overhead power lines for electrified train routes:making holes for the mast foundations is an idealtask for the Unimog with excavator attachment.

Working on the rails

ation of overhead electric wires for someyears now and cooperates closely withGerman Rail, but energy supply companiesare also among the clients of this companywith its 30-strong workforce. It lays cables,carries out earthing work and repairsconcrete structures on Germanys railroutes. The two partners and generalmanagers Hartmut and Volkhard Stiebrely on a U 1400, a U 1200 and a U 900for all their work, together with an ematecM 215 excavator attachment. In the MurgValley in Germanys northern Black Forest,

Work in progress in the Murg Valley. The former German Railroute is being converted into an urban rapid transit line. TheUnimog with excavator attachment is an invaluable aid on diffi-cult-to-reach embankments

Professional snowploughs for allclearing tasks blade widths from2000 mm to 3200 mm.

A Partnership for Perfection in Winter Services,with the Unimog U 300 / U 400 / U 500

Extremely shallow-angle spreaders withsilo sizes from 1.8 m3 to 4.0 m3 with the option of wet salt spreading.

Telephone: (+49) 09621/7685-0Fax: (+49) 09621/768549e-mail: info@gmeiner-online.dewww.gmeiner-online.de

GmeinerDaimlerChrysler and

W. GMEINER GmbH & Co.Bgm.-Knoll-Str. 26

92245 Kmmersbruck/Amberg/Germany

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

the combination of Unimog and add-onexcavator is also a reliable one for theseoverhead wiring specialists. The rail routefrom Rastatt to Freudenstadt is currentlybeing converted into a modern urban rapidtransit line, and new masts are needed forits electrification. In this narrow valley,space is often at a premium and theembankments are steep and difficult toreach; so far, however, the Perzl companysU 1400 has never failed to be right therewhen the task has to be carried out.

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

14 UNIMOGJOURNAL

One of the largest of thegiant Texan chemical com-pany Dows European pro-duction facilities is in thesouth of the Netherlands.

At the moment, its plasticsprocessing capacity is

being increased. The con-struction contract went to

Montagewerk GmbH ofLeipzig, Germany, which

has 300 people on the siteand operates two new

Unimog 400 vehicles there.

The small Dutch town of Terneuzen ison the Westerschelde, a link between theNorth Sea and the port of Antwerp usedby a series of tankers and freighters. Thisis where the American chemical corpora-tion Dow operates a plant a tangle ofpipes and towers that looks rather like theManhattan skyline when seen in theregions typical morning mists. When thewind drops one can hear a sizzling soundfrom the distant process equipment withits chemical reactor columns many metreshigh, which is in continuous use. But the

sizzling Manhattan

icy wind seldom relaxes its grip, and theworkers from Montagewerk Leipzig feel itin their bones within a matter of minutes.Those not directly involved in erecting theplant extension work in Moeselbank,about three kilometres distant. They nolonger register the presence of the giantsteel pumps, compressors, burn-off stacksand tanks that have kept them away fromtheir families in Saxony for so manymonths.

Building

Brugge

Terneuzen

Antwerp

Rotterdam

The Hague

North

Sea

North

Sea

BelgiumBelgium

NetherlandsNetherlands

DWM-Graphic

15UNIMOGJOURNAL

Most of the pipes used to erect theplant also come from Grosskayna nearLeipzig. They were brought to the site bytruck through Belgium and across theborder into the Netherlands, andunloaded by Unimog at the Moeselbank,where an intermediate depot has been setup for these pipes, which are often up to1.60 metres in diameter.

Today, for instance, both U 400s withtheir Palfinger PK 17000 cranes of18 metres radius are working together to

unload the latest truck to arrive. Theypick up the heavy pipes as a perfectlysynchronised team, so that the freightcompany can start the return journeywithout delay. Time is money is amaxim that Reiner Niltop, the salesengineer from Montagewerk Leipzig, isunlikely to forget, but there are othersound economic reasons too why thecompany decided to operate Unimogs onthis Dutch site, where the work isscheduled to last for more than a year.We not only use the Unimogs to load andunload trucks and to move materials oververy long distances within the site, butalso to assist the erecting teams in theirwork by moving pipe elements into posi-tion with the attached cranes. This oftenavoids the need for an additional cranethat would stand around idle and costmoney during the unloading periods.

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

Since the pipe depot is below sea level, the Unimogs wheels often sink intothe soft sandy soil. But they havent yet been brought to a standstill and inview of their capabilities this is highly unlikely.

Its quicker together: when both U 400stackle the task with their Palfinger cranes,the truck can be turned round faster, whichsaves a great deal of expense on majorerecting projects

Excavator Attachments

Tel. 08331/9487-0 Fax -40 Industriestr. 6 87734 Benningen www.ematec.de

Type M 215

There is yet another reason why the erec-ting specialists from Germanys State ofSaxony value the services of the newUnimog. Logistics manager ThomasManleitner explains: The Mussel-shell

Bank is actually below sea level, withloose sand as the subsoil. Trucks can onlyreach this area if we lay down specialsteel plates whereas the Unimog can goanywhere!

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

1616 UNIMOGJOURNAL

Denmark: up and away with the Unimog

Evidently satisfied with the Unimog U 100 L:management and staff of our client SEAS

Top: The new Unimog U 100 L with a FalckSchmidt boom lift . . .

. . . which is seen fully extended at the topright and is obviously ideal for servicingwork on the supply lines

The most recent U 100 L vehiclessupplied to SEAS have a boom liftsupplied by the local equipment manufac-turer Falck Schmidt and capable ofreaching an extended height of 10.5metres. These Unimogs are primarilyemployed on maintaining the SEAS high-tension networks. This is a task that callsfor vehicles with all-terrain capability,since the electrical fitters are often calledout to inaccessible rural sites in poorweather in order to restore the powersupply. The U 1850 that has been perfor-ming this work for some time, and also aU 1700, have Palfinger cranes mounted onthem and also carry drilling attachmentsfor use when new masts have to beerected. Other Unimogs in the SEAS fleetare three U 1750s, also with boom lift foroverhead inspection work, and a U 1250equipped as a mobile workshop.

The Unimog demonstrates its fullversatility when operated by this Danishenergy provider, and has proved mostreliable in off-road use. No other type ofvehicle unites so many productadvantages, which explains whycustomers in the farthest corners ofEurope operate it for a wide variety oftasks. The Danish SEAS company alreadyhas a fleet of 125, and declares that thereis simply no substitute for the Unimogwhen it comes to providing a consistent,reliable service to the public.

Danish energy supplycompany SEAS Distributionis the largest provider of its

kind in this Scandinaviancountry, with more than

225,000 customers in thesouthern lake area and on

the islands of Mn, Lollandand Falster. Unimogs fromthe light and heavy model

series help to maintain the14,623-km long supply

network.

U 100 L and one of the trusty U 1850 modelswith Palfinger crane and drilling attachment

17UNIMOGJOURNAL

U n i m o g I n t e r n a t i o n a l

The new Unimog model generation hasalready begun day-to-day work in Finland.The Finnish Unimog general agent, theVeho Group Oy AB in Espoo nearHelsinki, has sold a vehicle with an inte-resting specification to the electricityauthority in the capital city of Helsinki.The U 300 has a long wheelbase (3,600mm) and is equipped with a Palfinger PK

In the late autumn of 2000 a UnimogU 100 L operated by the East Sussex FireBrigade helped to rescue manyinhabitants of the town of Crawley, inparticular 35 severely disabled residentsof an old peoples home, from a potentialflood disaster. After prolonged and heavy

Finland: an interesting configuration

Great Britain:a convincing rescue vehicle

rainfall, several rivers had burst theirbanks, and the industrial town of Crawleyand the mediaeval town of Cuckfield werein particular danger. The Unimog with itscontainer body soon proved to be ideal formoving people from flooded areas to

safety, and also demonstrated the highperformance of its pump. Many elderlypeople would have been incapable ofsaving themselves from the worseningfloods, had it not been for the oftendramatic efforts of the rescue servicesand their reliable Unimog. The samevehicle was also called upon to rescueanimals from nearby farms. Dave Sutton,senior officer of the Crowborough andCuckfield Fire Stations, confirmed whatan immense benefit the Unimog had been:During the entire floodwater catastrophe,the Unimog played a successful part in allour dramatic and often hazardous rescueoperations.

After this highly positive experiencewith the U 100 L the East Sussex FireBrigade has now ordered a UnimogU 1550 L/37 with long wheelbase and a211-hp diesel engine. The new vehicle toowill be specially equipped for rescue anddisaster work.

The rear-mountedexcavator is an

essential attachmentwhen digging founda-tions for power masts

A practical aid inmaintaining thepower supply to

Finlands capital cityof Helsinki: the U 300

with Palfinger crane,rear-mounted exca-

vator and rope winch

7501 crane, a HI-TEC H 230 rear-end exca-vator and a Sepson 250-metre rope winchdriven by a generator rated at 6.5 kW. Thecrane and excavator attachments can beremote-controlled. The power hydraulicsare what makes it possible to install sucha comprehensive set of equipment on thisnew Unimog, which is intended for main-tenance work on the power supply

network and for the erection of new powermasts.

In addition the U 300 is fitted with alocally built load platform that hasadditional compartments for the storageof tools.

Sussex

1818

Transferring the UnimogProduct Division to theDaimlerChrysler truckassembly plant in Wrthnaturally gives rise toquestions about the futureof the Gaggenau plant. TheGroup will convert this insuccessive stages into aCompetence Center forautomated- and manual-shift transmissions.

At the Gaggenau plant about 85percent of the employees are alreadyoccupied with the production ofcomponents and assemblies for therecently established DaimlerChryslerPowersystems division. Specialising inthese activities will offer the Gaggenauplant additional opportunities for growth.By 2007, 250 million Euro will have beeninvested in this re-alignment process.

The DaimlerChrysler Powersystemsdivision generates a total turnover of 7.3billion Euro within the worldwidecommercial-vehicles operating area and isthus a major source of Group commercial-vehicle business. In 2000 it produced520,000 on- and off-highway dieselengines, 800,000 axles, 260,000 trans-missions and 1,400,000 steering systems.

Systematic specialisation and thegrouping of similar production processesare important factors in guaranteeing theability of the German DaimlerChryslerplants to remain competitive.

The Wrth plant has significant advan-tages for Unimog in terms of worksequences, logistics and the overall orga-nisation of this product division. Wrth istoday one of the most modern, efficienttruck plants in Europe. In the words of Dr.Klaus Meier, Mercedes-Benz Truck Divi-sion Manager: This move will establishour Unimog activities on a bettereconomic basis and ensure their long-term security.

Hans-Jrgen Wischhof, UnimogProduct Division Manager: The year inwhich we are celebrating five decades ofMercedes-Benz Unimog construction inGaggenau is, thanks to the move toWrth, an opportunity to enter the futurewith a more confident approach tobusiness success.

Plans have been drawn up for most ofthe members of the 700-strong Unimogstaff to make the move to the new locationin Wrth.

Unimog Unique is how the title of thesupplement translates that is includedwith this issue of UNIMOG JOURNAL. Theoccasion being celebrated falls due onJune 3rd 2001, the 50th anniversary ofMercedes-Benz Unimog production inGaggenau. After this half-century there,Unimog production is about to be trans-ferred to Wrth, in GermanysRhineland-Palatinate region an oppor-tunity to examine the benefits for thefuture of the Unimog that this movewill bring.

Unique !

Werner Boehringer reca

lls Unimog

production in Gppinge

n

An exceptional phenom

enon

in motor-vehicle histor

y

Interview with an early

employee:

Cycling 400 kilometres

for a job interview

Unimog models

from 1945 to 2001

Mercedes-Benz

Unimog

Unimog moves to Wrth

UNIMOGJOURNAL

UNUN

1919

In good time for the summer season, the Hellenic Fire Brigade run by the Greek Ministry ofthe Interior will take delivery of 63 U 2150 L/38 vehicles, which are to be used to fightforest fires throughout this country in the Mediterranean. The superstructures, from theGreek manufacturer ELBO, include a 2,500-litre water tank and a reservoir for up to 200litres of foam. This order was secured by Greek Unimog importer Promot Lainopoulosagainst tough international competition. The photo showing some of the vehicles alreadydelivered was taken in front of the importers head offices in Athens.

Fighting forest fires in Greece

A d v e r t i s e m e n t

HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY

FOR THE NEW UNIMOG U 300 / U 400 / U 500

MODEL SERIES

Joachim Leistikow GmbHAltknigstrae 2

D-61138 NiederdorfeldenTel. (0) 6101 / 5364-0Fax. (0) 6101 / 33461

Internet: http://www.leistikow-gmbh.deE-Mail: Vertrieb@leistikow-gmbh.de

Our range of products for the Unimog: Universal high pressure cleaning

equipment for front and rear installation

High-pressure surface cleaning equipment, also combined with front-end

sweepers

High-pressure drain cleaning equipmentfor mounting on the platform subframe

Suction and rinsing containers with atotal capacity of up to 7,000 litres

Municipal sludge suction vehicles with atotal capacity of up to 8,000 litres

Water containers of up to 7,000 l Special superstructures upon request

(e.g. low pressure equipment, watering

arms, hot water devices)

UNIMOGJOURNAL

NISCOPENISCOPERoaming theworldThe Maximog should be capable

of tackling just about any road ortrack on this earth; it is an expe-ditionary vehicle with exclusiveequipment, based on the Unimog. At the moment it is resting in theMuseum of Modern Art in New YorkCity, but will soon be on the roadagain with California and Arizona asits destinations.