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1/2000<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong><br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
Premiere at Group Headquarters<br />
Guests came from all over Italy<br />
Premium Product for Mining<br />
Premiere Premiere Mood Mood in Mainz Mainz<br />
Presentation Presentation of Equipment Equipment Carriers Carriers
The Unimog concept re-defined 4<br />
Admiration from all sides 5<br />
Presentation at the European specialist symposium 6-7<br />
Rescuers on tour 18<br />
A cyclist for the future 18<br />
Worth seeing again and again 18<br />
Austrian premiere 18<br />
Partnership 19<br />
Swiss species 19<br />
P U B L I S H E R ’ S I M P R I N T<br />
Editorial<br />
A new chapter in Unimog’s history 3<br />
The new Unimog generation<br />
Sales organisation<br />
As good as new – or a wonderful “comeback” 8-9<br />
Flowers in bloom again after mining 10-11<br />
A well-maintained fleet 12-13<br />
U nimog International<br />
“Specialists” in Spain 14-16<br />
Guests came from all over Italy 17<br />
UNISCOPE<br />
Publisher:<br />
DaimlerChrysler AG, Unimog Division<br />
Publisher’s responsibility:<br />
Dieter Sellnau, Unimog Division<br />
Coordination:<br />
Martin Adam, Unimog Division<br />
Editorial committee:<br />
Martin Adam, Erwin Kirschner,<br />
Dieter Mutard, Karin Weidenbacher<br />
Contributors to this issue:<br />
Texts: Michael Brettnacher, Stefan Loeffler,<br />
Dieter Mutard, Angelika Ruoff<br />
Photos: DWM Pressebüro und Verlag<br />
Unimog Division<br />
Editorial office address:<br />
DaimlerChrysler AG, Produktbereich Unimog,<br />
Vertrieb Marketing, 76568 Gaggenau, Germany<br />
Production:<br />
Dieter Mutard DWM Pressebüro und Verlag,<br />
Ringstrasse 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany<br />
Phone +49 731/9 62 89-0, Fax +49 731/9 62 89-30<br />
The next issue will be published in the fall of 2000.<br />
The publisher assumes no responsibility for voluntarily<br />
submitted texts and photographs.<br />
Printed on paper bleached without the use of chlorine.<br />
Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany<br />
WWW<br />
UNIMOG HOMEPAGE:<br />
www.mercedes-benz.com/d/ecars/unimog/default.htm<br />
The cover photographs<br />
The clouds stood no<br />
chance as the sun broke<br />
through, providing the<br />
right atmosphere for the<br />
presentation of the U 300<br />
and U 400 models in Italy<br />
Premium product<br />
for mining: the<br />
Unimog from<br />
Gaggenau is in demand<br />
wherever<br />
the brown coal<br />
flags fly and<br />
gigantic bucket<br />
excavators mine<br />
coal by open-cast<br />
methods<br />
Company stamp<br />
Premiere at the Group’s<br />
headquarters: The main<br />
DaimlerChrysler<br />
administration building in<br />
Stuttgart-Möhringen is a<br />
location where the Unimog,<br />
although a <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong><br />
product, is only rarely<br />
seen. For the presentation<br />
of the new Unimog U 300/<br />
U 400 to the European specialised<br />
press, however, the<br />
attractive main administration<br />
building provided an<br />
impressive backdrop
A new chapter<br />
in Unimog’s history<br />
Dear friends of Unimog, in this issue of<br />
UNIMOG JOURNAL I am particularly<br />
pleased to be able to present our new<br />
Unimog generation to you.<br />
With this Unimog generation we are<br />
beginning a new chapter in more than fifty<br />
successful years of the Unimog (a German<br />
acronym for Universal Motor Appliance ).<br />
More than perhaps any other commercial<br />
vehicle built by our Group, the Unimog<br />
symbolizes the virtues of the <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<br />
<strong>Benz</strong> brand: reliability, strength, longevity<br />
and diversity. You can be sure that what<br />
was true yesterday remains true today and<br />
will continue to hold good in the future!<br />
We have re-interpreted the Unimog<br />
concept at the beginning of the new millennium.<br />
Its design has now been revised<br />
for the fourth time. Why this re-interpretation,<br />
you may ask: in fact it reflects our<br />
desire to design the Unimog, this versatile<br />
equipment carrier, to meet our customers<br />
requirements as closely as possible. This<br />
new multiple talent on the equipment<br />
operating sector satisfies all the demands<br />
we face on the market today and that have<br />
naturally changed in recent years. Furthermore,<br />
it still has the best off-road capabilities<br />
of all equipment-carrier vehicles.<br />
The new model series are all-round solutions<br />
for the most varied employment<br />
conditions in winter and summer alike,<br />
for public authorities, private companies,<br />
the construction and energy industries<br />
and agriculture. In a so far unique partnership<br />
with certified equipment manufacturers,<br />
we offer highly specialised and focused<br />
solutions for just about every task. The interfaces<br />
on the vehicle make it possible to<br />
continue using older Unimog attachments.<br />
We had the driver specifically in mind<br />
when designing our new vehicle. The<br />
new Unimog is safer and more convenient<br />
to drive. For those who use it every day,<br />
work is made easier by the comprehensive<br />
standard equipment specification, consisting<br />
of air conditioning, EPS, ABS, permanent<br />
four-wheel drive and other technical<br />
innovations such as the VarioPilot<br />
person operating system. The completely<br />
re-designed driver s cabin is now even<br />
more spacious, with better visibility.<br />
On a regional tour of Germany we<br />
recently introduced the new Unimog<br />
generation to customers, business associates<br />
and the specialised press. The heavy<br />
series 500 which will be launched in February<br />
2001 will be presented for the first<br />
Dr. Klaus Maier<br />
Editorial<br />
time at the German IAA Commercial<br />
Vehicle Show in Frankfurt in September.<br />
The widespread response and the overwhelmingly<br />
positive feedback we have<br />
received so far confirm our belief that we<br />
are on the right path to maintain and<br />
develop our leading position on the European<br />
equipment carrier market with the<br />
new Unimog.<br />
Come with us on this successful<br />
journey and join me in looking forward to<br />
a continuation of the Unimog legend!<br />
Dr. Klaus Maier,<br />
Head of the <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> truck division<br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
3
‘Telligent’ gearshift system – The driver can<br />
locate the broad knob of the new gear lever<br />
without being distracted from the task in<br />
hand. The Telligent gearshift system prevents<br />
shifting errors: computer-controlled<br />
electronics calculate and preselect the<br />
starting and subsequent gears<br />
Cabin comfort – The spacious, ergonomically<br />
designed driver’s cabin with its non-glare<br />
instruments is impressive. The vehicle and<br />
equipment controls are arranged according<br />
to frequency of use on middle console<br />
VarioPilot – The VarioPilot changeover<br />
steering is designed for operating comfort<br />
and a one-person working situation. The<br />
steering wheel, instruments and pedals can<br />
be transferred from one side to the other<br />
in a matter of seconds<br />
Joystick – the power hydraulic system and<br />
the Vario Power hydraulic system are controlled<br />
conveniently by a removable joystick<br />
which can also be used as a remote control<br />
The Unimog concept re-defined<br />
After nearly five decades of unique success for this<br />
specialised off-road “Universal Motor Appliance” on global<br />
markets, <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> has now re-defined the idea<br />
behind the Unimog.<br />
In the long period since 1951 in which<br />
more than 320,000 Unimogs were sold<br />
and during which market structures have<br />
changed profoundly as well, designing a<br />
fully system-based equipment carrier<br />
became a necessity. Dr. Klaus Maier, Head<br />
of the world-wide <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> truck<br />
division and therefore responsible for the<br />
Unimog, stressed the term future capability<br />
during presentation of the new Unimog<br />
model generation. Future capability also<br />
New U 300/U 400 features:<br />
3 + ➃ additional installation<br />
space in the front between<br />
the axles, at the rear,<br />
on the platform, on ball<br />
points, frames and<br />
between the driver’s cabin<br />
and the platform<br />
means that the Unimog product area has to<br />
adapt to today‘s level of business and product<br />
innovation. The successful result is the<br />
new, highly versatile equipment carrier<br />
presented to interested guests in Stuttgart<br />
and Mainz during March and on the regional<br />
tour in May. Its economical system<br />
solutions for equipment operation and<br />
its driving comfort will make it hard for<br />
competitors from the system tractor and<br />
equipment carrier truck segments to rival<br />
the new Unimog U 300/U 400 in combined<br />
equipment operation and slow-speed travel<br />
characteristics, for example.
The new Unimog appears<br />
relatively small in front of<br />
DaimlerChrysler’s administrative<br />
headquarters in<br />
Stuttgart-Möhringen.<br />
As a powerful system<br />
equipment carrier, however,<br />
the new Unimog generation<br />
vehicle is greater than ever<br />
before.<br />
While Dr. Klaus Maier, Head of the<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> truck division,<br />
and Hans-Jürgen Wischhof,<br />
Head of the Unimog division, present the<br />
new Unimog U 300 and U 400 to European<br />
journalists in the Forum , a model of the<br />
new series stands in the sunlight in front<br />
of the Stuttgart headquarters of the group<br />
of companies .<br />
The big star turns constantly on top of<br />
the main building on 13 March. This is<br />
something the new, white Unimog 400<br />
cannot do but it is nevertheless appreciated<br />
from all sides: So this is how it looks<br />
like, is a sentence you hear often when<br />
employees and visitors walk across the<br />
square and around the new Unimog model<br />
with curiosity.<br />
Some 120 journalists are seeing this<br />
modern vehicle for the first time today.<br />
But not only that: with the presentation of<br />
the U 300 /U 400, an entirely new era has<br />
begun. In the words of Dr. Klaus Maier:<br />
We have re-defined the Unimog philosophy<br />
Admired from all sides<br />
because despite the vehicle s unchanging<br />
fascination, the Unimog market structure<br />
has changed. Realising the new concept<br />
has been the task of the developers in<br />
Gaggenau for the past three and a half<br />
years.<br />
After explanatory remarks from Dr.<br />
Klaus Maier and Hans-Jürgen Wischhof,<br />
the specialised journalists rushed to the<br />
terrace of the Forum to take pictures of<br />
the Unimog with its equipment from<br />
every perspective.<br />
Some of them got into<br />
the driver s cabin,<br />
finished in gentian<br />
blue, for a closer look<br />
at the VarioPilot<br />
changeover steering.<br />
Shortly before this,<br />
the Head of the<br />
Unimog Division had<br />
drawn attention to an<br />
important cornerstone<br />
of the Unimog system,<br />
the basic version of<br />
which is equipped<br />
with ABS, EPS, an<br />
engine in accordance<br />
with the Euro 3<br />
standard and air conditioning<br />
and has an<br />
The new Unimog generation<br />
Sales Manager Winfried Blum (right) was<br />
very much in demand as a conversation<br />
partner (above, centre)<br />
From left to right: Hans-Jürgen Wischhof,<br />
Head of the Unimog Product Division,<br />
Dr. Klaus Maier, Head of the <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong><br />
Truck Division and Sales Manager Winfried<br />
Blum during the conference for the specialised<br />
press (above, right)<br />
Erich Rid, Unimog Product Manager, explains<br />
the transmission of the new models<br />
increased payload: Its value for money<br />
corresponds to the market situation and<br />
applies not only to the equipment carrier<br />
itself but to the entire system. With the<br />
Unimog equipment system partnership ,<br />
a new quality was introduced in cooperation<br />
with leading equipment manufacturers<br />
in Germany and abroad: the vehicle and<br />
the equipment were and will continue to<br />
be developed and tested jointly.<br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
5
Presentation at the European experts’ symposium<br />
Presentation of the new<br />
Unimog model series and<br />
equipment systems to<br />
customers and world-wide<br />
sales staff took place in<br />
Mainz, Germany. During a<br />
European experts’ symposium,<br />
interesting ways of<br />
optimising quality management<br />
and vehicle operation<br />
in road maintenance work<br />
were demonstrated. More<br />
than 500 experts from the<br />
road maintenance and<br />
service areas attended this<br />
event.<br />
6 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
After the experts’ symposium, an impressive show with dancers from the State Ballet<br />
in Mainz was staged to introduce the new Unimog.<br />
At the end, these three models emerged from the dry-ice fog on stage. Sales Manager<br />
Winfried Blum introduced the artists and their “works of art”<br />
In connection with the presentation<br />
and market launch of the new Unimog<br />
models, Durth Roos Consulting GmbH<br />
conducted a European experts symposium<br />
on New Scope for Road Maintenance<br />
Services . Durth Roos Consulting is<br />
an internationally active engineering company<br />
specialising in planning and consulting<br />
services in the traffic planning, road<br />
design, road operation, project management<br />
and road construction areas. Its experts —<br />
the company is owned by professors from<br />
several technical universities — develop<br />
EDP solutions for waste disposal planning,<br />
road cleaning and winter services.<br />
More than 500 expert participants<br />
from all over Europe confirmed that for<br />
public authorities, municipalities and<br />
road construction administrations, economic<br />
aspects and well-founded quality<br />
management are focal points today when<br />
planning and executing municipal tasks.<br />
The topic of the symposium and the<br />
speakers papers, among them a representative<br />
from the Swedish road construction<br />
administration, proved that communal<br />
services can be optimised despite the difficult<br />
public budget situation so that users<br />
are satisfied, notably traffic participants,<br />
tax payers, local organizations and residents.<br />
According to<br />
the speakers, improving<br />
the quality of<br />
road maintenance and<br />
operating services<br />
is a precondition for<br />
appropriate travel<br />
standards and road<br />
safety, with minimum<br />
harm for the environment<br />
and economical<br />
budget spending.<br />
The new Unimog<br />
model series and their<br />
equipment systems<br />
were cited as decisive
and calculable elements in such optimising<br />
processes.<br />
According to Durth Roos Consulting,<br />
this is why the product range is a decisive<br />
factor when a vehicle is purchased. The<br />
main aspects here are:<br />
• Can one operate at high capacity with<br />
this system combination of vehicle and<br />
equipment?<br />
• How much effort is required when<br />
exchanging equipment?<br />
• Are the vehicle and the equipment<br />
available from a single source?<br />
• Are the vehicle and the equipment well<br />
matched ?<br />
• Are support and after-sales service<br />
coordinated and customers looked after<br />
well?<br />
Equipment carrier concept highlights<br />
The new Unimog model series meets<br />
all these more demanding technical<br />
requirements. The highlights of the equipment<br />
carrier concept include its compact<br />
dimensions, the short hood concept, the redesigned<br />
driver s cabin made of compound<br />
fibre material (FVW) and the excellent field<br />
of vision for the driver and passenger.<br />
Other advantages are the increased<br />
transport capacity with four attachment and<br />
superstructure areas for equipment, a<br />
choice of engines in accordance with the<br />
Euro 3 standard, the high-performance<br />
Hans-Jürgen Wischhof, Head of the Unimog<br />
division (left) and Prof. Dr. Ralf Roos during<br />
the opening ceremony of the symposium,<br />
which was well received by the participants<br />
Top left: Winfried Blum<br />
presents three vehicles from the new series<br />
after the premiere show<br />
VarioPower hydraulic system and the<br />
VarioPilot changeover steering. The Vario-<br />
Pilot is a decisive advantage, particularly<br />
in low budget periods, as 75 percent of all<br />
Unimog are used all the year round with<br />
different attachments and superstructures.<br />
Operation of the vehicle and the equipment<br />
by one person is becoming more and more<br />
important for budget reasons.<br />
Another speaker at the symposium<br />
investigated requirements for economical<br />
vehicle and equipment operation. As far as<br />
vehicle operation costs are concerned,<br />
he concluded that the degree to which the<br />
capacity of the vehicle and machine is<br />
used is the decisive calculation factor. A<br />
higher purchase price with low operating<br />
costs yields a more positive result than<br />
low purchase costs which then lead to<br />
higher operating costs due to poorer quality.<br />
Decisive factors for savings on the<br />
New Unimog-Generation<br />
equipment side are the high residual value<br />
of the vehicle, low maintenance and<br />
repair costs, operation of the equipment by<br />
one person and the power hydraulics.<br />
The Unimog equipment system<br />
partnership launched with the new model<br />
series is therefore of profound importance<br />
for customers and users as far as technical<br />
preconditions and business targets are<br />
concerned. The result of this intensive collaboration<br />
with twenty equipment manufacturers<br />
is a significant increase in the<br />
value for money for the entire equipment<br />
carrier — vehicle and attachments.
Genuine exchange<br />
engines available at low<br />
prices and short notice<br />
As good as new or an “impressive comeback”<br />
Modern vehicles such as the Unimog<br />
have a long life. The engine has been<br />
designed for low wear and infrequent<br />
maintenance, so it will rarely have to be<br />
replaced or repaired. Even the best engine,<br />
however, will reach the end of its working<br />
life at some point, even if the overall<br />
condition of the vehicle is still quite good.<br />
This is the moment when the Unimog<br />
celebrates its second life and is restored<br />
to health for the next hard tasks with a<br />
genuine <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> exchange engine<br />
— the best and most economical solution.<br />
The term exchange engine tends to be<br />
associated with mediocre quality, which is<br />
not justified since exchange engines are as<br />
good as new as far as their quality and<br />
potential working life are concerned; they<br />
allow a Unimog to enjoy an impressive<br />
comeback after they have been installed.<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> exchange engines have<br />
been available for many years with the<br />
same warranties as new engines. At the<br />
DaimlerChrysler factory in Mannheim,<br />
commercial vehicle engines from the 300<br />
and 400 model series and also the 500 and<br />
900 series are restored. All engines are<br />
treated with special care and experienced<br />
and qualified staff reconditions them<br />
thoroughly.<br />
The first step is a comprehensive visual<br />
check of the delivered engine which must<br />
not have suffered accident, fire or severe<br />
8 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
mechanical damage. Residual fluids are<br />
drained out and disposed of in an environmentally<br />
acceptable way. As with all<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> products, environmental<br />
protection is an important factor when<br />
disassembling engines. The engine is<br />
cleaned thoroughly and stripped down<br />
into its individual components. Worn parts<br />
are discarded and components that can be<br />
re-used are selected for reconditioning.<br />
Every single part is checked carefully,<br />
down to the smallest bolt or nut. Crankshafts<br />
can be inspected under ultra-violet<br />
light in such detail, for example, that even<br />
the smallest hairline cracks are visible.<br />
Cylinder heads are milled flat and combustion<br />
chambers remachined. All relevant<br />
parts are checked and restored in accordance<br />
with the same quality standards<br />
used in series or new parts production.<br />
The exchange process saves valuable raw<br />
materials and energy that would otherwise<br />
have to be devoted to the production<br />
of new parts.<br />
Parts subject to normal wear such as<br />
bearing shells, pistons, cylinder liners,<br />
seals or V-belts are always replaced by<br />
new <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> parts. All auxiliaries<br />
such as the water pump or the generator<br />
are also reconditioned. The engines are<br />
re-assembled by methods similar to those<br />
used during the manufacture of new engines.<br />
Absolute precision is essential on<br />
the conveyor belt. Every exchange engine<br />
is checked on the dynamometer, with a<br />
special test programme for every engine.<br />
This procedure involves a lot of effort,<br />
but it guarantees that the customer receives<br />
a state-of-the-art exchange engine.<br />
Customers benefit from the rapid avail-<br />
ability of the engines after reconditioning,<br />
and their prices are clearly defined.<br />
Guaranteed performance and environmental<br />
protection<br />
All parts and auxiliaries are restored<br />
in every detail or replaced by new parts.<br />
Every engine is put through the same tests<br />
as a new engine. Every exchange item<br />
has the same warranty as a new one and<br />
is built to the latest state-of-the-art engineering<br />
standards. A <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> exchange<br />
engine is the optimum basis for<br />
maintaining the economy and enhancing<br />
the value of your Unimog.<br />
The advantages at a glance:<br />
• engines available at short notice<br />
• inexpensive replacement parts<br />
• quality identical to that of new parts<br />
• same warranty as for original parts<br />
• state-of-the-art technical standards<br />
• clearly-defined, fixed prices
More genuine <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> exchange<br />
parts:<br />
Apart from replacement engines, the<br />
engine factory in Mannheim produces various<br />
other genuine exchange parts. Cylinder<br />
heads, injection pumps and flywheels<br />
for Unimog engines, for instance, have<br />
become available recently. The prices for<br />
genuine exchange flywheels and cylinder<br />
heads are fixed. They are up to 60 per<br />
cent less expensive than new parts if an<br />
acceptable old part is returned. The Unimog<br />
can now be repaired more inexpensively<br />
or, to put it another way, to a standard that<br />
suits the vehicle s remaining value better<br />
Advertisement<br />
— with the same quality<br />
and a one-year warranty.<br />
Next question:<br />
where would a newly<br />
installed <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<br />
<strong>Benz</strong> exchange engine<br />
be without an efficient<br />
cooling system? The<br />
radiators are subject to<br />
severe loads during<br />
hard winter operation<br />
or, for example, during<br />
the mowing season.<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> has<br />
reduced the prices for<br />
genuine Unimog radiators<br />
so that customers<br />
are not tempted into<br />
false economies. A<br />
genuine <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong><br />
radiator helps to guarantee<br />
further successful years of operation<br />
for the Unimog. If you have any further<br />
questions about the engine exchange programme,<br />
genuine replacement parts or<br />
low-priced radiators, please contact your<br />
Unimog dealer.<br />
Sales organisation<br />
HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY<br />
FOR THE NEW UNIMOG U 300 / U 400<br />
MODEL SERIES<br />
Our range of products for the Unimog:<br />
✻ Universal high pressure cleaning<br />
equipment for front and rear installation<br />
✻ High-pressure surface cleaning<br />
equipment, also combined with front-end<br />
sweepers<br />
✻ High-pressure drain cleaning equipment<br />
for mounting on the platform subframe<br />
✻ Suction and rinsing containers with a<br />
total capacity of up to 7,000 litres<br />
✻ Municipal sludge suction vehicles with a<br />
total capacity of up to 8,000 litres<br />
✻ Water containers of up to 7,000 l<br />
✻ Special superstructures upon request<br />
(e.g. low pressure equipment, watering<br />
arms, hot water devices)<br />
Engines are restored according to the same<br />
quality standards and test criteria as series<br />
production units (top)<br />
A much sought-after and inexpensive replacement<br />
part is the Unimog radiator (left)<br />
Joachim Leistikow GmbH<br />
Altkönigstrasse 2<br />
61138 Niederdorfelden, Germany<br />
Phone +49 6101 / 5364-0<br />
Fax +49 6101 / 33461<br />
Internet: http://www.leistikow-gmbh.de<br />
E-Mail: Vertrieb@leistikow-gmbh.de
❶<br />
Flowers bloom again after mining<br />
Romonta GmbH in Amsdorf near Halle/Saale (Saxony-Anhalt) is one of<br />
Germany’s most modern basic-material companies. It has purchased six Unimogs<br />
so far as open-cast lignite mining has progressed.<br />
Transferring lignite transport from<br />
rails to conveyor belts in the entire<br />
mining area has called for renewal<br />
and adaptation of the entire auxiliary<br />
technology used in the compan’ s opencast<br />
lignite mining operations. Unimogs<br />
are important elements in the comprehensive<br />
support needed for the economical<br />
mining of lignite at this site in central<br />
Germany.<br />
In the future, about 11 million tonnes<br />
of coal will be excavated from this 150hectare<br />
site. Lignite from Amsdorf contains<br />
large amounts of bitumen, that is to<br />
say is enriched with fossilised hard resin<br />
of vegetable origin, which is used extensively<br />
in chemical engineering, for example<br />
in the manufacture of lipstick, shoe polish<br />
and sealing agents, brake linings, floor<br />
adhesives and bleaching agents. Romonta<br />
GmbH has a leading position with a global<br />
market share of 80 per cent in the crude<br />
mined wax products sector. The company<br />
produces approx. 20,000 tonnes of this<br />
raw material per year, which is derived<br />
from the leaves of subtropical stone-age<br />
plants, and exports its products to 51<br />
countries.<br />
10 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
The conveyor systems with trucks and<br />
the bucket wheel excavators require regular<br />
maintenance and fast technical support<br />
in an emergency. This is provided at any<br />
point within the mining area by the Unimog,<br />
whether it snows or rains, in mud or the<br />
very dry soil conditions which leave long,<br />
brown coal-dust trails behind these utility<br />
vehicles.<br />
For Jürgen Biermann, open-cast operations<br />
manager at Romonta GmbH in<br />
Amsdorf (which is in the Mansfelder Land<br />
administrative district), his Unimogs are<br />
an essential part of his work-process<br />
calculations. People and machines have<br />
to cooperate closely here, he says and<br />
stresses that our 85 employees produce<br />
500,000 tonnes of lignite annually, plus<br />
some 4.5 million cubic metres of excavated<br />
material. Standstill times must not be too<br />
long in this inter-related process chain.<br />
Unimogs for Romonta are looked after by<br />
Rainer Schöps, sales consultant at Unimog<br />
distributor Henne Unimog GmbH in Wiedemar,<br />
which provides all the necessary<br />
know-how and service.<br />
On the beautiful day in May when we<br />
visited the mine for this report, some<br />
rollers had seized at drive station 9 and<br />
the conveyor belts were overheating. The<br />
supervisory team arrived in double-quick<br />
time in two Unimogs, a U 1250 with a personnel<br />
cage for maintenance work and a<br />
U1450 with workshop and special lighting<br />
equipment. Everything needed for a<br />
rapid repair is contained within this compact<br />
service vehicle s body. If no urgent<br />
repairs are needed, this Unimog drives<br />
A classic open-cast mining picture: mining levels<br />
from grass to the lignite itself can be clearly seen.<br />
The layers of marl, coarse clay, clay and sand are<br />
up to 80 meters in depth above the coal seams
along the conveyor belts regularly to check<br />
for overheated rollers that could cause<br />
minor fires. In the event of a major fire,<br />
the U 2450 L 6x6 three-axle tank fire<br />
brigade vehicle with 4,800 litres of extinguishing<br />
agent reaches the fire location<br />
very quickly, since its 240 bhp engine can<br />
propel the fully loaded vehicle rapidly and<br />
safely over any terrain. During our visit,<br />
however, the firemen did not fight flames<br />
but tackled the coal dust that is quite common<br />
in dry weather. The roads in the mining<br />
area are sprayed with water before the<br />
dust can spread over the entire surroundings<br />
and the nearby villages. We also<br />
discover a Unimog that s used for environ-<br />
“They need you over there with your<br />
Unimog...” Jürgen Biermann (right), opencast<br />
operations manager, with Peter Harsin,<br />
conveyor team leader<br />
mental purposes: A U 1450 equipped with<br />
workshop facilities is located at the excavated<br />
material tip where the mining process<br />
comes to an end, to eliminate potential<br />
defects and make repairs. This is where<br />
the excavated material is filled to create<br />
new land that makes cultivation of the<br />
former mining area possible: flowers grow<br />
again there as soon as lignite mining is<br />
finished!<br />
❶ Green is beautiful ... At<br />
the end of the 5-kilometre<br />
conveyor, new areas for<br />
re-cultivation are created<br />
❷ U 1350 servicing the<br />
1546 bucket wheel<br />
excavator as a lubricating<br />
vehicle<br />
❸ A U 2450 L 6x6 is used<br />
for spraying to settle dust<br />
deposits in the mining<br />
area, and as a tank extinguishing<br />
vehicle by the<br />
mine’s fire brigade<br />
❹ Technical problems at<br />
drive station 9. In the form<br />
of a U 1250 with personnel<br />
cage and a U 1450 with<br />
workshop equipment, help<br />
is soon under way<br />
❸<br />
❹<br />
❷<br />
Sales organisation
A well-maintained fleet<br />
A well-maintained fleet<br />
There are many municipal fleets, consisting of a variety of<br />
vehicles in different colour-schemes and from various<br />
manufacturers. In Freyung, a town in Germany’s Bavarian<br />
Woods, the fleet consists almost exclusively of Unimogs.<br />
Hermann Petzi, the works manager, and<br />
his team swear by the Unimog system.<br />
It all began with a U 411 in 1963; in 1967,<br />
they purchased their first U 406. The fleet<br />
today consists of seven Unimogs, the oldest<br />
a U 406 built in 1970, the most recent<br />
a U 1400 delivered in 2000. If you didn t<br />
know that the U 406 was built with drum<br />
brakes until 1973 only, you would think<br />
that the two oldest Unimogs in Freyung —<br />
which Hermann Petzi affectionately calls<br />
my jokers — had been collected new in<br />
Gaggenau just a few days ago. Today, they<br />
are used mainly to tow two skip-loader<br />
trailers and two Müller-Mitteltal tippers for<br />
transport purposes.<br />
12 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
Freyung in the Bavarian Woods is a<br />
snow centre : most of the time in winter<br />
it snows there first, and in generous quantities.<br />
In this region the efficiency of a<br />
public services yard is judged by its winter<br />
service. The Unimogs prove their versatility<br />
and reliability every day in the cold season<br />
of the year. The Städtische Bauhof Grafenau<br />
clears away large quantities of snow every<br />
winter and spring. This includes not only<br />
public roads and pavements but the paths<br />
in a big forest as well. Due to the height often<br />
reached by the snow, a wedge-shaped<br />
plough, a side tiller, a rotary snow plough<br />
and a double snow tiller are used. These<br />
devices are attached to the U 1400 with its<br />
When clearing snow from<br />
roads in spring, the wedgeshaped<br />
plough is an essential<br />
attachment<br />
163 bhp engine and working and inching<br />
gears. A normal dumper body or a Ruthmann-Steiger<br />
can be installed on a U 1000,<br />
with a quick-change system so that the<br />
driver can change from one to the other in<br />
no more than 15 minutes.<br />
Apart from winter services, other work<br />
naturally has to be done during the year<br />
as well: the two U 406 Unimogs, for example,<br />
are used for grass care with special<br />
tyres for sports-ground operation.<br />
The town of Freyung uses the Unimog<br />
system almost exclusively. The only other<br />
vehicles are a four-wheel drive estate car<br />
and a four-wheel drive crew-cab truck<br />
with a tipper body. The Unimogs are all in<br />
When there is too<br />
much snow for the<br />
plough, the tiller is<br />
used on the U 1400.<br />
The 163-bhp engine<br />
drive the tiller drums<br />
via the front power<br />
take-off shaft (far left)<br />
For making paths<br />
broader, the side snow<br />
tiller is used. The snow<br />
plough for final clearing<br />
work can be seen<br />
waiting in the background<br />
(left)
excellent condition; 95 percent of all repairs<br />
are done in the yard s workshop. In<br />
the event of failure, spare parts can be obtained<br />
from Unimog distributor von Bassewitz<br />
even at weekends. It is important for<br />
the winter service that the Unimog and<br />
Advertisement<br />
the attached equipment are parked in a<br />
heated hall and cleaned regularly after use.<br />
Thanks to the reliability of the Unimog<br />
fleet, snow can be cleared and salt and<br />
grit spread on more than 100 kilometres<br />
of main road and another 100 km of local<br />
roads and hiking paths. Hermann Petzi<br />
and his team team rely on Unimog to prevent<br />
chaos due to snow.<br />
Sales organisation<br />
How long does a Unimog last? One of the<br />
two “jokers” in Grafenau, built in 1970, is<br />
seen here in top condition (top left)<br />
Designed for different superstructures: the<br />
Ruthmann-Steiger system on a U 1000<br />
which is also used for many other tasks (top<br />
right)<br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
13
Those who know Spain and its broad expanses of bizarre<br />
and diverse countryside will also appreciate the<br />
difficult terrain that supply vehicles sometimes have to face.<br />
From fire brigades to power and gas supply, from<br />
telecommunications companies to public television broadcasting<br />
– <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> Unimogs are in great demand as<br />
multi-talented “specialists”.<br />
“Specialists” in Spain<br />
Fire protection in the Basque region<br />
Since November 1999, a U 2450 L 38<br />
with a 177 kW (240 bhp) engine and<br />
WERNER equipment has been in use in the<br />
town of San Sebasti n directly on Spain s<br />
border with France, by the municipal<br />
fire brigade, the Diputación Foral de<br />
Guiùzcoa.In such a sparsely populated,<br />
14 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
mountainous area with extensive forests<br />
on the fringe of the Pyrenees, a vehicle<br />
with off-road capabilities is obligatory for<br />
the fire brigade. This is why a Unimog<br />
has been chosen for the first time, with<br />
the necessary equipment for operations<br />
and recovery work in places in this<br />
remote, mountainous region that are difficult<br />
to access.<br />
Tracing breaks in transmission<br />
The Spanish telecommunications company<br />
Telefónica operates five U 1350 L<br />
models with 93 kW/126 bhp engines (see<br />
picture above). The Unimogs were purchased<br />
for installation work in off-road terrain<br />
and to locate points where mobile communication<br />
transmissions are interrupted.<br />
This situation occurs quite often in the<br />
valleys between Spain s numerous mountains.<br />
In order to make sure the telephone<br />
network also functions efficiently in sparsely<br />
populated areas, the Unimogs have<br />
special bodies for the transmission-unit<br />
containers, a detachable HIAB crane and<br />
additional technical equipment. They are<br />
used all over Spain for installation, repair<br />
and maintenance of the system in difficult<br />
terrain. The equipment and superstructure<br />
were installed by Industrias Zamarbú.<br />
Fighting forest fires is still a problem every summer<br />
TheJunta of Castile and Léon operates the largest number of<br />
Unimog with special bodies and firefighting equipment. This<br />
administrative body has purchased 22 vehicles since 1992, among<br />
them 85 kW (115 bhp) U 100 L models, the U 1850 L with 136 kW<br />
(185 bhp) engine and the U 2150 L/32 rated at 155 kW (211 bhp).<br />
Fire fighting is a serious matter in Spain, and unfortunately always<br />
a topical one in summer.. Unimog are being used successfully in<br />
Valladolid, Palencia, Zamora, Salamanca and Léon, and as a result<br />
demand is clearly increasing (6 vehicles were purchased in 1999).<br />
Spanish manufacturers build the special bodies.
Gas supply company uses Unimog<br />
The U 100L Unimogs used by the gas<br />
supply company Empresa Nacional del<br />
Gas (Enagas) in Madrid are equipped<br />
with a tipping body, a HIAB crane, an<br />
exchangeable front winch and a workshop<br />
superstructure. The Unimog are used for<br />
material transport in difficult terrain and<br />
for repair and maintenance of the gas<br />
lines by maintenance teams at the natural<br />
gas supply locations in Spain. The tipping<br />
body and tool case were installed by<br />
Industrias Zamarbú, a Spanish manufacturer<br />
which cooperates closely with Unimog.<br />
Advertisement<br />
TV reception guaranteed<br />
The public TV broadcasting company<br />
Televisi n Espa ola has been able to<br />
guarantee reliable transmission of its programmes<br />
all over Spain since September<br />
1998 by using two Unimog U 2150 L<br />
(155 kW/ 211 bhp). Up to then, it was<br />
difficult to broadcast TV programmes<br />
U nimog International<br />
effectively in mountainous terrain as well,<br />
i. e. areas with bad feedback or without<br />
stationary broadcasting stations. The Unimogs<br />
are a great help in this respect.<br />
They have special bodies with broadcasting<br />
equipment and supply the TV programmes<br />
to the remotest areas in Spain where transmission<br />
is normally impossible.<br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
15
Investment for the future<br />
The municipality of Teruel in the province of<br />
Aragon is situated between the Iberian<br />
foothills and the Sierra de Cuenca at altitudes<br />
of between 1,800 and 2,000 metres. This explains<br />
why the work of Teruel s road service is<br />
quite hard: in winter, huge quantities of snow<br />
have to be cleared from roads and, after periods<br />
of bad weather, boulders and fallen trees<br />
removed. Not surprisingly, the municipality decided<br />
last year to purchase a U 2150 L 38 with<br />
155 kW (211 bhp) engine. Turuel is now<br />
well-prepared for the future, with the Unimog<br />
equipped with a snow plough made by<br />
SICOMETAL, a PALFINGER crane and a salt<br />
and grit sprayer from EPOKE.<br />
Advertisement<br />
Always at maximum<br />
It’s so easy with the CLUTCHMATE<br />
Less strain on the driver, less wear on the machine<br />
• Because it reduces physical strain and protects<br />
knees and backs<br />
• It is ideal when stuck in traffic jams and city traffic<br />
• It works like a “semi-automatic” transmission<br />
• It allows drivers to concentrate more on the traffic<br />
and the job in hand<br />
Unimog in the power supply<br />
industry<br />
Maintenance and repair of high<br />
voltage and overhead lines is the task<br />
of the family-owned power supply<br />
company Electricidad Barcenas S. A.<br />
in Valdepe as, Ciudad Real. This is not<br />
an easy task as the terrain is often<br />
difficult, but no problem for the Unimog<br />
U 2450 L 38. It is equipped with an<br />
ALTEC work platform which can be replaced<br />
with a HIAB crane if required.<br />
Additional equipment was installed by<br />
Industrias Zamarbú.<br />
Disguised as a locomotive for the tourists<br />
Tourists in Spain can enjoy the Unimog s reliability, too. In Catalonia, one of the<br />
main tourist centres in Spain with its Costa Brava and the Costa Dorada, tourists are<br />
taken around by a rubber-tyred train pulled by a Unimog U 1400 disguised as a<br />
locomotive. The Rosas Express company based in Rosas chose the Unimog because<br />
part of the sightseeing tour is in difficult, hilly terrain. The entire construction work<br />
for the train and the technical realisation was undertaken by Remolques Sañe.<br />
CLUTCHMATE protects man and machine<br />
• It is quick and easy to fit<br />
• It requires no modifications to existing mechanisms<br />
• It does not affect the licensing of the vehicle in any way<br />
• It has no effect on any mechanical auxiliaries or hydraulics<br />
• It is ideal for use with implements and attachments<br />
• It might even allow a disabled person to be employed<br />
TÜV approved<br />
Have you ever thought about how much strain is put on a Unimog driver’s left knee,<br />
and how often it happens?<br />
Depending on the type of work he might have to press the clutch up to three thousand times a<br />
day.<br />
And because human knees vary in strength and load capacity, serious injuries are always occurring.<br />
Sometimes it means that a driver is off work for a while, but it could even lead to<br />
permanent incapacity.<br />
Why choose CLUTCHMATE?<br />
Supply and installation by Unimog distributors only:<br />
T.C. Systems bv, Schelmseweg 1, 6816 PA Arnhem NL<br />
Tel: +31/2 64 42 23 43 Fax: +31/2 64 45 8136 Automatic coupling
Guests came from all over Italy<br />
The special event took place in Colli del<br />
Tronto, a small municipality in the Italian<br />
Marches province, on Wednesday, 7 June<br />
2000. The Hotel Casale was a special attraction<br />
on that day for customers and<br />
sales partners of the Unimog division of<br />
<strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> Italy. Some 200 guests<br />
were there for the first presentation of the<br />
new Unimog equipment carriers outside<br />
Germany — an opportunity for a first look<br />
at the new vehicle concept. Before the<br />
numerous guests were allowed to see the<br />
U 300 and U 400, however, Italian Unimog<br />
sales manager Guido Corradi explained the<br />
technical innovations and special features<br />
of the new model family, including the redesigned<br />
driver s cabin, the VarioPower<br />
power hydraulics and the Vario-Pilot<br />
changeover steering, with which the entire<br />
steering column with instrument panel and<br />
pedals can be shifted from the driver s to<br />
the passenger s side in a matter of seconds.<br />
He also introduced the new Unimog equipment<br />
system partnership which aims<br />
to increase the quality of cooperation with<br />
equipment manufacturers and in which<br />
leading companies from Germany and<br />
abroad are already participating. The new<br />
U 300/U 400 will mainly be used by motorway<br />
and municipal road maintenance<br />
services in Italy.<br />
U nimog International<br />
The clouds stood no<br />
chance as the sun broke<br />
through, providing<br />
the right atmosphere<br />
for the presentation<br />
of the U 300 and U 400<br />
models in Italy.<br />
Photographs: DaimlerChrysler AG chose the<br />
Italian municipality of Colli del Tronto to<br />
launch the new Unimog U 300 and U 400<br />
model series. The response from customers<br />
who came from all over the country was<br />
overwhelming<br />
UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
17
18 UNIMOG<br />
JOURNAL<br />
U·N·I·S<br />
Rescuers<br />
A cyclist for<br />
the future<br />
The sports cyclist Hubert Schwarz (centre<br />
front in picture), who is noted for his<br />
extreme projects, plans to ride through 21<br />
countries on four continents, including<br />
the Sahara, Gobi and Takla Makan deserts,<br />
covering a total of 25,000 kilometres. He<br />
relies on three <strong>Mercedes</strong>-<strong>Benz</strong> products for<br />
logistic support: a Unimog U 1550 L/37<br />
with double cabin and Hartmann box van<br />
body, an off-road vehicle (G model) and<br />
a four-wheel drive Sprinter. During his<br />
round-the-world cycling trip, Hubert<br />
Schwarz stopped briefly in Gaggenau on<br />
May 3rd. The EXPO’s special ambassador<br />
stressed that he wanted to give people a<br />
glimpse of the 21st century with this tour.<br />
The motto of the current world exhibition<br />
in Hanover, Visions for the Future , is the<br />
conceptual background for his round-theworld<br />
trip.<br />
Austrian premiere<br />
The new Unimog models have already been introduced to<br />
experts in Austria. The first time was at the construction industry<br />
trade fair MAWEV in Ennsdorf near Linz (from 6 to 9 April),<br />
where the picture was taken, and immediately afterwards at<br />
Salzburg airport. In this, the city of Mozart, the new Unimog concept<br />
was presented to customers on the airport apron and tested<br />
in practical operation. Winter service experts from Austria’s main<br />
commercial airports (Vienna-Schwechat, Linz, Graz, Innsbruck<br />
and Salzburg) were happy to seize this opportunity.<br />
on tour<br />
The Deutsche Gesellschaft zur RettungSchiffbrüchiger (DGzRS) (German Association<br />
for Rescuing the Shipwrecked), a charitable institution based in Bremen, recently<br />
presented its distress work on a city tour through the new Federal states of Germany.<br />
A Unimog U 2150 L transported the seven-metre long rescue boat Butt from town to town<br />
on a special trailer (see picture above). The Unimog is a reliable partner for rescue work<br />
in its own right. The flat-bottomed boat is transported from its storage location in<br />
Kühlungsborn near Bremen to any operating point with the Unimog. This takes less time<br />
than getting to the distress area through rough seas.<br />
Wörth seeing again and again<br />
The traditional demonstration of winter<br />
services presentation by Henne-Unimog<br />
GmbH was again well worth seeing this<br />
year. On 22 February 2000, more than a<br />
thousand visitors came to the Spitzingsee<br />
lake in the Bavarian Alps to witness an interesting<br />
programme of events with many<br />
vehicles and devices. Experts were particularly<br />
interested in innovations in the<br />
equipment sector. Seven Unimogs with a<br />
wide variety of winter service equipment<br />
were demonstrated. Expert response was<br />
particularly favourable after seeing the<br />
new Gmeiner swing floor technology<br />
spreaders and the new Vario snow plough<br />
from Schmidt for clearing snow in innercity<br />
areas with little room to manoeuvre.
·K·O·P<br />
Partnership Swiss species<br />
April 12, 2000, just a few weeks after<br />
the first official presentation of the new<br />
U 300/U 400, was an important date for<br />
Mulag-Fahrzeugwerk Heinz Wössner<br />
GmbH & Co. KG, based in Bad Peterstal,<br />
and the Unimog division of Daimler-<br />
Chrysler AG. This was the day when thecompanies<br />
two General Managers Werner<br />
Wössner from Mulagand Hans-Jürgen<br />
Wischhof, General Manager of the Unimog<br />
division, signed the Unimog equipment<br />
system partnership agreement.. The picture<br />
on the right was taken when Hans-<br />
Jürgen Wischhof (left) handed over of the<br />
certificate for the equipment system partnership<br />
to Werner Wössner. This was the<br />
official collaboration agreement between<br />
the two leading companies on innovative<br />
developments for the vehicle and equipment<br />
systems for use by municipalities.<br />
Advertisement<br />
Swiss Unimog general agent Robert<br />
Aebi AG and the Unimog equipment<br />
system partner Gerhard Dücker GmbH &<br />
Co. KG in Stadtlohn (Westphalia) have<br />
developed a Swiss species of Unimog<br />
U1650 with a tank trailer for cleaning<br />
road, noise protection and demarcation<br />
walls. The vehicles are used on motorways<br />
in the cantons of Wallis and Western<br />
Switzerland.