New Hyva tipping cylinder for Brett Aggregates

Ultra lightweight FCA129 cylinder offers payload capacity benefits and reduced downtime

UNVEILED at TIP-Ex 2015, Hyva’s new FCA129 tipping cylinder has found immediate favour with one of the UK’s largest privately owned aggregates producers – Kent-based Brett Aggregates.

Working in conjunction with a DAF 8x4 CF chassis and PPG alloy body, the unladen weight of Brett’s latest tipper configuration is 11,900kg, thereby affording the ‘reference standard’ 20-tonne payload capacity.

‘At 430kg, the new Hyva ram is 20kg lighter than anything else,’ said Tom Clubb, transport manager for Brett. ‘Whilst 20kg doesn’t sound a lot, the real issue is that there’s no point whatsoever in us carrying around unnecessary deadweight. What I also like about the FCA129 is that Hyva have really given the whole issue of tipping gear design a significant new direction - and not just on the single issue of weight.’

Leading these additional advances is the fact that FCA129 is a separate ram and tank design rather than a combined model. ‘As the oil tank is on a separate ram and the tank design isn’t load bearing, it doesn’t need to be made from steel; whereas on a combined design it does,’ Mr Clubb explained.

‘Hyva’s use of industrial-quality plastic for their oil tank, therefore, saves both weight and cost. The separate ram and tank configuration also makes any maintenance or replacement issues on the cylinders themselves much easier, reducing downtime costs to the very minimum. In reality, the combined ram and tank design now looks outmoded.’

The FCA129 tipping cylinder was retrofitted in place of an existing Hyva FC137 unit, as Mike Taylor, national sales manager for Hyva UK, explained: ‘The new FCA129 has been developed almost exclusively for the aggregates industry where payload capacity is usually the number one operating issue. Our aim was to reduce weight, but crucially without affecting safety or reliability. Whilst the outside diameter of the tube has been reduced, the FCA129 unit’s generous wall thickness and overlap lengths mean that neither strength nor stability have been compromised.’

He added: ‘The plastic tank is both lighter and smaller, as the required oil capacity for the system has also been reduced to just 41 litres. The result is that FCA129 is now easily the lightest 8x4 tipping gear available in the UK.’

With Brett Aggregates’ first FCA129-fitted tipper just coming under the 12 tonnes unladen weight yardstick, Tom Clubb is delighted with his company’s latest 8x4 specification, particularly as the new Hyva cylinder is supported by a number of other key improvements.

Fully compliant to both CLOCS and FORS standards, the new Brett tippers are fitted with Navman telematics, to monitor key areas of vehicle and driver performance, as well as a Exeros 360° camera system, including additional cameras inside the body to assist the driver in ensuring correct loading and tipping.

‘We encourage our drivers to be heavily involved and to really see themselves as ‘asset managers’ where their professionalism and expertise really can make a difference,’ said Mr Clubb. ‘We’re not just talking of individual things like monitoring fuel consumption, but taking a much wider view that embraces and encourages better driving practices to improve safety and reduce maintenance costs.’

With 10 Hyva tipping cylinders now in service for Brett, another 10 tippers are due to join the company’s fleet in September.