Custom Drag Chain Systems for Roadside Assistance Vehicles, Work Platforms, and Caravans
Whether it’s roadside assistance services, construction machinery, or simply being on the road, more and more vehicles are feature dynamic cabling. HELU supplies the custom drag chain systems that make all of this possible.
Roadside assistance vehicles are more than just cars. They are mobile repair shops that are driven from accident to accident by emergency personnel. To ensure that they prepared for any emergency, they carry up to 500 kilograms worth of tools and equipment on board.
When emergencies happen, and every second matters, service technicians cannot afford to be spending time searching for the right tool. In order to keep track of things, cabinet systems with pull-out drawers located in the rear of the vehicle ensure everything is in its place. The kicker is that electrical equipment, such as jump-starter power packs or diagnosis devices, must be supplied with electricity on location.
This is precisely where HELU drag chain systems shine. They guide cables and wires reliably through the extension and retraction motions of the drawers, thus protecting the electrical cables and ensuring reliability with daily use.
There Are No Standard Solutions for these Types of Requests
Fitted with HELU energy supply systems: the pull-out cabinet system in the boot of a breakdown recovery vehicle.
The requirements for these drag chain systems are so specific that standard solutions are simply out of the question from the start. “This is a classic example of an application requiring a custom solution that goes beyond a simple data sheet,” explains Andreas Muckes, Senior Product Manager Solutions at HELU. “So, we created one.”
The travel distance of the drag chain was less than a metre, and the movements are slow and often manual. But regardless, the system must endure a life cycle spanning six to eight years with multiple uses per day, sometimes extreme temperature fluctuations between summer and winter, as well as the vibrations and impacts resulting from many hundreds of thousands of kilometres travelled on the roads.
From Sketch to Serial Production—Everything from a Single Source
Assembly Level 3: Cables, chains, assemblies and accessories are supplied directly by HELU.
The experts at HELU drew up a custom solution according to these requirements. The first sketches were done classically on paper. After that, a system composed of sheet metal parts, drag chains, cables, and plugs was developed within a few weeks. Next, the system was installed in the individual vehicles. Conclusion: Passing the Test
The new drag chain system has since entered serial production, and the customer is gradually outfitting their entire fleet of vehicles with it. “The solution we developed is a prime example for our Assembly Level 3,” explains Muckes.
The drag chain, cable, assembly, and the custom-manufactured accessories come straight from our factories. We then combine the individual components into a complete system that is ready to use. The customer now only needs to install it into their vehicles. Our expert views this project as exemplary of our solutions mindset at HELU, “in the beginning, there are no products, only applications. And where there are no existing solutions, we create one.”
A Practical System—Versatile Too
Packaged and ready for routine use at the customer’s premises: HELU’s energy supply systems.
The principle behind this system may also be of use in other vehicles. “In caravans, campers, or rescue vehicles, there are always many moving applications requiring electricity,” explains Muckes. “Many vehicles feature dynamic cabling.”
On construction sites, lateral supports are extended and the connection between the operating device and the central controls must be reliable. Caravans have many sensors that monitor things like water levels. When maintenance needs to be done, these should be able to be easily moved. “These are all very specific applications requiring systems custom-made for their environment that simply work.”