Krone is planning a “significant” increase in its capacity to produce interchangeable systems and Dry Liners at its Herzlake site in Germany to take advantage of “positive market demand,” the company said.
Managing director Bernhard Brüggen said production output will be doubled to more than 25,000 units in the next 1½ years.
“We have already laid the foundation for this production offensive with the introduction of automatic component production in Herzlake,” Brüggen said. “Our swap body systems and Dry Liners stand for high product quality combined with numerous innovative load-securing solutions and are therefore in high demand on the market, as evidenced, for example, by our market share of around 70% for swap bodies.
“In addition, there is a significant increase in demand, which is also generated by the booming online trade.”
Krone said the production increase is associated with an “investment offensive.” As part of the automation implementation and associated robot production systems, the entire product range is being revised with the goal of increasing quality and maximzing cutomer benefits.
At the Herzlake site, Krone manufactures steel swap bodies, curtain swap bodies, box semi-trailers and CEP vehicles for courier and express journeys. The range of swap boxes includes beaded or smooth side walls, as well as plywood and carbofont-versions, or cases open on one side.
The cases are available in a variety of designs, from telescopic support legs and double-deck equipment to roller shutters and more. The curtain boxes, which are available in different lengths and storage heights, as well as with different roof and wall systems, also are flexible and practical, Krone said.
In Herzlake the dry freight box Dry Liner dry freight boxes, also built in Herzlake, can be used to transport high-quality and moisture-sensitive goods. The Dry Liner is available with side walls made of steel, plywood or carbofont, and various equipment modules also are specifiable for the interior.
Krone also uses a coating system with KTL-plus powder coating.
Cathodic dip painting (KTL) is a dip coating which is applied electrolytically to the metal body and baked at approximately 200 degress Celsius (392 degrees Farenheit). The coating is then applied to the metal body for “incomparable” corrosion protection. Characteristics of KTL-plus powder vehicles include brilliant shine, high stone impact resistance and protection against rust.
Steel structures up to 16 meters long, 3.2 meters high and 2.6 meters wide can be coated in one piece at the Herzlake production facility. The total area of the plant is around 352,000 square meters (3.79 million square feet).