Bell Equipment is unveiling the latest version of its 6x6 articulated hauler, the Bell B50E. The firm is also offering its latest Bell B20E LGP, which, at the opposite end of the size scale, is said by the South African manufacturer to reaffirm the Bell E-series.
Bell Equipment Product Manager, Brad Castle, says: “Our 50-tonner concept is a great example of our company’s passion for innovation and ability to respond to customer needs. The development of the B50D, in the early 2000s, was driven largely by increased operating costs in the market and, having the largest payload of any ADT on the market at that time gave customers a unique solution: being able to transport a higher payload for marginally more fuel and with less operators required per ton of material moved. The reasoning behind the concept remains as valid today, and the B50E has really come of age as a high performing product, showing pleasing product maturity and longevity.”
Castle notes that the B50E, like the rest of the range, is loaded with safety and driving assistance features such as Hill Assist, Tip Safe, downhill braking control, and automatic traction control. He adds: “We also have auto grease systems, rearview camera, onboard diagnostics, and Bell Fleetmatic, which itself as evolved to provide pole-to-pole coverage and real-time tracking, giving customers the ultimate tool for asset, production, and machine health management.”
All Bell E-series ADTs are now built PDS/CAS-ready, with a corresponding gateway interface (ISO 21815-2) for level 9 pedestrian detection system (PDS) / collision avoidance systems (CAS).
Bell Equipment also advocates direct communication between specialist suppliers and end customers when it comes to the topical issue of autonomous driving. "There is already a wide range of systems available that are best suited to individual regions, company sizes or operational requirements. As a machine supplier, we see it as our responsibility to give our customers the greatest possible freedom. We have been working intensively with a wide range of suppliers for many years, which now enables us to integrate our vehicles very quickly into fully or semi-autonomous or even remote systems via the appropriate interfaces," says Castle.
