EUROPE – UK - Of great interest to all involved in freight and logistic movements by truck comes an invention of particular interest at this time of year. With snow enveloping Britain and much of Europe, many countries which are unprepared for the conditions have drivers also unfamiliar with the process of fitting snow chains. A system produced by German manufacturer RUD, the Rotogrip, could well prove the answer the next time your commercial fleet is liable to be stranded.
Rotogrip gets past the reticence of many drivers to get down and dirty fitting semi permanent chains and does away with the need to carry bulky and dirty packs of chains. In many countries snow tends to be patchy in different parts of a long freight delivery route, sometimes changing radically within just a few miles. The system gets past this by providing a fully automatic system the driver can control easily.
Unlike conventional snow chains the Rotogrip is fitted under the chassis of the truck with chains spread around a central hub. When the system is activated the unit moves into position and the chain mat spreads out under the driving wheels powered by the compressed air system. The system is available in a range of between six to eighteen strand chain wheels thus suitable for a wide range of vehicle and suspension types. The spinning chain wheel wraps under and around the vehicles tyres causing the hub to rotate and even works in reverse and during incremental braking.
With a picture being worth a thousand words the video link HERE will give a much better idea of how the Rotogrip system works. Rotogrip is being marketed in the UK by the VGB group as the most advanced snow chain accessory around.
