IAA 2018: EMPL presents 6 interesting special-purpose vehicles!

As a manufacturer of special-purpose vehicles, EMPL exhibited several interesting vehicle body types at their own stand in hall 24 and in the outdoor area, in addition to the many vehicles bodies on show at stands from partner companies.

Following the slogan “Your vision – our challenge!”, EMPL presented itself as a manufacturer of special-purpose vehicles and a professional partner for special transport solutions. All vehicles on show have been tailored to meet all of the requirements and wishes of the respective operators and provide a good overview of the comprehensive product range from EMPL, an Austrian company with a longstanding tradition.

SPECIAL-PURPOSE BODIES – THE KEY TO SUCCESS
With locations in Austria and Germany, EMPL is the leading European manufacturer of custom-made special-purpose truck bodies of the highest quality for the commercial vehicles industry, fire services and the field of defence & public services. Each vehicle is tailored perfectly to the requirements of the customer and the market situation.

For over 70 years, EMPL has been a byword for solution-oriented vehicle construction. Flexibility, speed, professionalism and commitment are the most important factors in meeting customer expectations, utilising a team of highly qualified staff.

COMMERCIAL VEHICLES FROM EMPL
Commercial vehicles from EMPL are individually manufactured special-purpose vehicles that are optimised for particular applications and meet the highest quality standards.  These customer-oriented transport and logistics solutions meet all branch-specific requirements in terms of maximised payload, flexible application, functionality, durability and maximum efficiency. Special customer wishes are implemented effectively.

A comprehensive range of accessories, equipment and innovative devices for securing cargo ensure that the precise needs of the operator are met. This means that our range is accordingly very varied. 

Commercial vehicles from EMPL: meeting the highest customer demands!

Training and after-sales – your guarantee for optimum performance
In order to maintain and further develop the relationship with the customer after the vehicle has been delivered, the “Training” and “After Sales” departments are an important part of the company. The declared objectives at EMPL are to ensure the highest level of customer satisfaction and optimum vehicle performance. EMPL trains and advises its customers worldwide both on site and at the in-house “EMPL Akademie”, ensuring that they remain in constant contact with customers even after the delivery and handover.

Company facts and figures (as of September 2018)
Company founded: 1948
Main plant, Austria: Kaltenbach, Tirol
Main plant, Germany: Zahna-Elster, Saxony-Anhalt
Markets: worldwide
Industries: commercial vehicles, fire services, defence & public services
Number of staff: approx. 500
Turnover: approx. €135 million
Deliveries/year: approx. 2,000 bodies and towed vehicles
Certifications: ISO 9001; ISO 14001; welding certificate

EH/W 200 BISON – HEAVY-DUTY RESCUE AND RECOVERY VEHICLE
For many decades, heavy-duty rescue vehicles from EMPL have been used successfully around the world as they allow for the problem-free rescue and recovery of passenger vehicles, buses and trucks under the most adverse conditions. The sophisticated body concept convinces renowned, leading recovery companies worldwide. Any vehicle that requires assistance can be rescued and towed in adverse conditions with the same rescue vehicle from EMPL.
The Bison models are available in many different versions, whether mounted on three-axle or four-axle chassis with various storage options or with a variety of winches and safety features.
Front cranes can also be mounted on the Bison when used in connection with an auxiliary box frame construction developed specially by EMPL. At IAA, the Austrian vehicle body manufacturer presented a particularly interesting EH/W 200 BISON model for the ADAC member company Postupka.

Autohilfe Postupka from Neckarsulm in Germany – a member of the German ADAC automobile club and a loyal and longstanding customer of EMPL – has 25 employees and has been working in the field of rescue and recovery for over 40 years. The heavy-duty recovery vehicle presented at IAA will be delivered to the customer after the exhibition. The rescue body is set on an MAN TGS 35.500 8X4 BB chassis.

Two hydraulic winches with flexible cables and a capacity of 20 t each are installed on the lifting arm. The main and knuckle boom as well as the extension and the winches can be operated with a radio remote control. Additionally, the vehicle is equipped with a 10 t winch on the support frame with return pulley, pull to the right and a 60 m cable. The rescue arm is telescopic. 3 t of ballast weight on the driver’s cab transfer the weight to both front axles during the towing process. The towing accessories with cathodic dip coating are comprised of a wheel lift, several lifting forks, bolts, chains, pulleys, shackles and safety straps, plus a towing bracket and tow bar. The flyer can be extended for additional safety. An integrated bird’s eye view camera allows all-around vision. The lighting and safety equipment includes a flyer with light bar, flashing lights, work lights and perimeter lighting on the sides.
Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with a rescue equipment package including crowbar, heavy-duty hammer, bolt cutter, assembly roller, oil absorbent, etc.

Numerous additional equipment items such as emergency generators, piston compressors, oxyacetylene cutting and welding apparatus, pivoting panels for chains and pivoting compartments for small parts, hygiene boards, hose reels, pivoting workbenches and many more are available from EMPL and were taken into account individually for this vehicle. There are almost no limits to what the operator can do in terms of the layout possibilities of the Bison models.

AMBULANCE BODY
The vehicle presented at the trade fair has a body for use in ambulance services, built on a Mercedes-Benz Unimog U4023 chassis with a Euro 6 engine. The body has been designed for transporting persons with serious injuries. Among other items, the vehicle contains a heater, air-conditioning system, patient table, seating for physician and paramedics, storage space for standard medical equipment, O₂ warning device, mounts for a scoop stretcher, vacuum mattress, oxygen cylinders, ventilator, blankets and heart rate monitor.

DRIVING SCHOOL VEHICLE WITH CHANGEABLE BODY
The vehicle presented at the trade fair is a driving school vehicle with ballast platform for the Austrian armed forces, built on an MAN TGM 12.240 4x4 chassis with double cab. Overall, 50 units of this type are delivered to the Austrian armed forces – a loyal customer of EMPL for many years. Hundreds of vehicle bodies have already been delivered to the troops over the years. Efficiency and reliability are the stand-out features of the changeable system developed specially by EMPL for the Austrian armed forces. Various body types – whether troop transporters, field cable shelters, mobile workshops or, as shown here, ambulance vehicles – can be mounted easily and securely to both all-terrain and road chassis. Among others, the major advantage of this system is that the changeable bodies are also designed to be transported efficiently on planes for international deployments in connection with a Tridem trailer unit developed specially by EMPL.

EMPL VEHICLE BODIES AT PARTNER STANDS
Additionally, several EMPL bodies were on show at stands from partner companies spread across the exhibition.

Heavy-duty rescue and recovery vehicle

At the Pema stand in hall 27, another heavy-duty rescue vehicle EMPL EH/W 200 BISON on a Volvo FH 16 8x4 B/L chassis was presented. The vehicle is equipped with a 20 t winch and the option for retrofitting a second winch. The storage boxes are made of stainless steel and the integrated flyer is extendable. The rail on the storage boxes is equipped with LED lighting. The towing bar is designed for 32 t. The further towing equipment includes multi-purpose lifting frame, lifting forks with raised sections, towing frame, bolts in different sizes, return pulley and work lights. 3.2 t of total ballast weight are installed on the driver’s cab.

Rescue equipment vehicle
The outside area of Mercedes-Benz included an EMPL equipment vehicle for the Heilbronn Volunteer Fire Brigade on an Unimog U5023 chassis suitable for mountain terrain. The vehicle is designed as a platform with side boards and tarpaulin structure. To allow for the required gradient, a loading tailboard with a tail lift with 1,500 kg lifting capacity was installed at the rear as well as a high performance loading crane with hydraulic cable winch on the knuckle boom behind the driver’s cab. A cable winch with 70 kN cable pull strength and 45 m usable cable length is installed on the driver’s cab. The platform structure is designed for 4 roll-on containers.

Logistics equipment vehicle
In the outside area of Iveco, an EMPL logistics equipment vehicle on an Iveco Eurocargo ML 120 E 19 4x2 chassis for the Saxony Ministry of the Interior was presented. The platform structure is equipped with a tilting wall structure and a loading tailboard with a lifting capacity of 1,500 kg. 12 roll-on containers can be transported simultaneously on the loading platform. Numerous lashing rails and attachment options for clamps and crossbeams ensure optimum, secure fixing.
The 12 roll-on containers are divided into in RC 1 - cooling 1, RC 2 - water supply, RC 3 - cooling 2, RC 4 - thermo container, RC 5 - kitchen, RC 6 - hygiene, RC 7 – electricity, RC 8 – dispensing, RC 9 – tent, RC 10 – seating 1, RC 11 – drinking water, RC 12 – seating 2.
The vehicle will also be presented at the Florian exhibition in Dresden in early October.

EMPL: Your vision. Our challenge!