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Zwartsluis-based HKS Scrap Metals recently deployed a quartet of new Floor S-Line (FLA-9-18) tri-axle trailer chassis for the collection of recycling containers. The lorries, with a 7.2m wheelbase and a rated gross vehicle weight of 27 tonnes, are set to replace older Floor lorries from 2005. They will be transporting 40 m3 exchangable containers used in the metal recycling industry. HKS Metals was no stranger to Pacton. Carlo Nijssen of HKS: “Goodwill played a big role in this purchase.”
HKS Metals is part of TSR, Europe’s market leader in metal recycling. With eleven branches in the Netherlands and Belgium, HKS Metals can serve each and every customer that comes knocking. The HKS branches are all located near water, using barges to transport metals to the Moerdijk and Amsterdam sites, from where they can be dispatched all over the world.
HKS Metals containers can be found at industrial estates and businesses producing a lot of scrap metal, which is then sorted and recycled.
Pacton Trailers from Ommen has also been a regular customer of HKS Metals for many years. Pacton's scrap is collected and processed for recycling by HKS Scrap Metals, so according to Carlo Nijssen, head of planning and logistics at HKS Scrap Metals in Zwartsluis, it was only natural that they turned to Pacton for a new trailer chassis. “Goodwill played a big role in this purchase”, Nijssen says firmly. “But it is equally important to remember that our experience with Floor had been excellent. We knew that Pacton’s products offer great value for money and are clearly at the higher end of the market in terms of quality. They offer amazing Dutch products.”
Logistics
HKS processes ferrous metals, nonferrous metals and electronics, serving as an important hub in the circular life cycle of metals/raw materials. HKS is a comprehensive service provider, collecting, distributing, separating, sorting and processing the materials. Its position as market leader, 100 years of experience and nationwide coverage make HKS a preferred partner for scrap metal processing.
While HKS Metals partly outsources its logistics, it also has its own fleet of 18 lorries and about as many trailers for maximum flexibility. The logistics department is home to 27 employees, a small share of the 450 people HKS employs in the Netherlands and Belgium. Most of the company’s employees work on sorting and managing the waste streams.
Multifunctional
Pacton’s Floor S-Line is a multifunctional trailer chassis for all exchangeable containers from 5 to 7.5 m that is compatible with all common container configurations. The large number of options packages means that every customer can count on a fully custom end product. Options include dual or single assembly, a tipping chassis, a mechanically or pneumatically adjustable A-frame, modifications for Leebur / Bennes Marrel containers, a lubrication system and an axle lift.
The four trailers purchased by HKS Scrap Metals were fully tailored to their future duties. The tri-axle trailers have a single 9-tonne axle at the front and a tandem axle at the rear, featuring a liftable middle axle. As standard, Floor S-Line trailers come equipped with chassis rollers for loading and unloading. The trailers have a fixed, non-extendable A-frame, a stainless steel toolbox and closed side protection.
The SAF Intradisc air suspension can lower the front axle and axle assembly, making it possible to lower the chassis as a whole when transferring a container. The front axle of the tandem assembly is equipped with a fully automatic axle lift and EBS system that can be deactivated with the push of a button. The trailers are furnished with lots of LED lighting, including fog lights, work lamps, side lights, stalk lights, wide beams, license plate lights and more. The distinctive Floor rear end features integrated LED rear lights with chrome detailing. Below the bumper, you will find the well-known full-width mudguard with the famous tagline: ‘Floor solid as a rock’.
The tandem assembly is equipped with closed side protection, in accordance with EC guidelines. The turntable comes with a centralised lubrication system and has been modified to accommodate Leebur / Bennes Marrel containers. The fully galvanised trailers were finished in a stylish Scania gray.
Safety first
Ample attention was paid to safety in designing the Floor S-Line chassis for HKS. That is why the trailers are equipped with a rear-view camera and flashing parking lights all around the vehicle that provide excellent visibility when the trailer has been disconnected.
On July 6, 2022, new rules came into effect under which all new bus, lorry and trailer models with a GVW of 3500 kg or more are required to have a tyre-pressure monitoring system (TPMS). Starting from 7 July 2024, a TPMS will become mandatory for all new vehicles subject to this new legislation. HKS decided to go the extra mile, having a system installed that automatically monitors and controls tyre pressure.
“Heavy duty is the norm in the metal recycling industry. Containers are always full and loads are always heavy. We made sure that our four new Floor S-Line trailers were fully compliant with all the latest requirements”, Nijssen explains. “Rather than luxury or comfort, safety and efficiency are the name of the game. That’s why we opted to include SAF Tire Pilot, for instance, which monitors and controls tire pressure. In the metal recycling industry, tyres literally come under a lot of pressure. Empty tyres are ripped to shreds quite easily, and suboptimal tyre pressure can also significantly increase fuel consumption. Having a driver check and inflate the tyres every day is a big ask, especially on cold, rainy days. Fortunately, that’s not something we have to worry about anymore.”