Demountable sweeper body designed for Mercedes-Benz Unimog U400

A leading designer and manufacturer of mobile vacuum sweepers, Bucher Schorling, has designed and developed a new demountable sweeper body for the Unimog U400, one of the new generation of Mercedes-Benz all-wheel drive implement carriers.


The Unimog was selected by Bucher Schorling for its new Unifant 50 sweeper because of its all-year-round operation and the ease with which the sweeper body could be attached. It takes just 15 minutes to mount the body on to the Unimog U400’s chassis using quick-change couplings and system connections through sockets and plugs.

Mercedes-Benz says that the result is a compact and highly manoeuvrable urban and rural sweeper that will not only cope well with difficult road and some off-road conditions, but will also provide maximum power in narrow streets. Power for the hydraulically operated sweeper is provided direct from the Unimog’s new, environmentally friendly Euro 3 diesel engine, which also powers the vehicle.

Working operation of the sweeper is carried out from within the cab, using a display screen and control pad which not only allows the driver to see the current operating mode, but also to individually programme it for special conditions. The Unimog’s dual control system, VarioPilot, enables the steering wheel and control pedals to be mechanically moved from one side of the cab to the other, offering a practical choice of left hand or right hand side drive for safe on-road driving and efficient and accurate roadside sweeper operation.

The Unifant 50 has a 5m3 capacity hopper with an exhaust fan in the hopper roof to deliver optimum suction. The fan is driven directly by the Unimog U400 using power hydraulics. Sole agent and distributor of the range of Bucher Schorling highway maintenance and cleaning equipment is Jack Allen (Sales and Service) Ltd.

A joint Mercedes-Benz Unimog and Jack Allen demonstration unit of this vehicle is expected in the UK towards the end of this year or early 2001.

Top-of-the-range Unimog

The largest and most powerful of the new Unimog implement carriers, the Unimog U500, unveiled at the International Commercial Vehicle Show in Frankfurt, Germany, this autumn, will be available in the UK from Spring 2001.

Like its smaller brothers, the U300 and U400 launched in the UK in October, the new 16 tonne GVW U500 has been designed to meet the demands of industry, local authorities, the construction and energy sectors and road-maintenance departments for flexible implement carriers and powerful traction units.

The U500 is aimed at utilities and the construction industry where heavy load and implement carrying is required alongside all-year-round performance. For example, the U500 will carry and operate a 4 tonne mobile crane, offering exceptional lifting abilities and reach with operating stability, states Merecdes-Benz.

In high-performance winter maintenance work on motorways and roads, the U500 will clear snow with a wide snow plough or snow cutter, spread thawing agents or grit from containers up to four cubic metres in volume. In the spring and summer months the U500 performs a wide range of tasks including mowing and cleaning jobs.

With up to 16 tonnes permissible GVW, a payload of 9 tonnes, two wheelbases (3,350 mm and 3,900mm) and standard-fitted Euro 3 engines with output ratings from 170 kW to 205 kW, the U 500 is a genuine alternative to a two-vehicle team comprising a conventional all-wheel-drive truck plus a special-purpose work vehicle. It also shares the high fuel economy and long intervals between services (1,200 hours) of the U400 and U300.


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