Mercedes-Benz

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

Fit for Europe without restriction

US companys giant project

It all began on June 3, 1951

1/2001

Mobile machines for Europes roads

UNIMOG HOMEPAGE:
www.mercedes-benz.com/d/ecars/unimog/default.htm

Our title pictures

Editorial

From universal agricultural vehicle to

multiple talent from Mercedes-Benz

Unimog International

Fit for Europe without restriction

4-7

Increasing success on Europes roads

8-9

Unimog for the land of hi-tech

Building sizzling Manhattan

In less than a year the

new-generation
Unimogs have made
their mark in Europe as
versatile equipment
carriers. Our report on
pages 8 and 9 describes
how customers in
Germany, Poland and
Turkey are using them

The weather is cold and rainy,

but despite these hardships,
workers from the Montagewerk
company of Leipzig are busy
constructing new plant for the
US company Dow Chemical in
Terneuzen, Netherlands. Two
Unimog U 400s equipped with
Palfinger cranes are helping to
load and unload the heavy
sections of pipe
Pages 14 and 15

12
14-15

Denmark: up and away with the Unimog

16

Great Britain: a convincing rescue vehicle

17

Finland: an interesting configuration

17

Sales organisation

Compact and flexible

10

Working on the rails

13

UNISCOPE

Unimog moves to Wrth

18

Fighting forest fires in Greece

19

The wide world

19

Many demonstrations of winter-service equipment and

actual operating sessions have convinced customers and
users of the U 300, U 400 and U 500 in France, Italy,
Germany, Switzerland and Austria. On Frances secondhighest Alpine pass, a demonstration turned into a genuine
clearing task overnight as a snowstorm roared down the Col
du Galibier. Pages 4 to 7

Published by:
DaimlerChrysler AG, Unimog Product Division

P U B L I S H E R S

D A T A

Publishing responsibility:
Dieter Sellnau, Unimog Product Division
Coordination:
Martin Adam, Unimog Product Division
Editorial advisory committee:
Martin Adam, Dieter Mutard, Karin Weidenbacher
Contributors to this issue:
Text:
Michael Brettnacher, Stefan Loeffler/Dieter Mutard (DWM),
Photos: DWM Pressebro and Verlag, Michael Brettnacher,
Unimog Product Division
Translation: Colin Brazier, Munich
Address of editorial office:
DaimlerChrysler AG, Unimog Product Division,
Sales and Marketing, 76568 Gaggenau, Germany
Complete production:
Dieter Mutard DWM Pressebro and Verlag, Ringstr. 11, 89081 Ulm,
Germany, Tel. +49 (0) 7 31/9 62 89-0, Fax +49 (0) 731/9 62 89-30
The next issue will be published in the autumn of 2001.
The publishers accept no responsibility for unsolicited copy or photographs.
Printed on paper bleached without chlorine.
Printed in the Federal Republic of Germany

Daimler-Benz AG took over the Unimog on June 1,

1951 from the Gebr. Boehringer mechanical engineering company in Gppingen, and by July 10th of that
year the hundredth vehicle had already left the
assembly line in Gaggenau. This historic anniversary
and many subsequent Unimog development stages
are described in a special supplement to this issue

Presented by:

Editorial

From universal agricultural vehicle to

multiple talent from Mercedes-Benz
What were the prospects for Germany
if condemned to be an agricultural state at
the end of the Second World War? Albert
Friedrich, former head of Daimler-Benzs
aircraft engine development work, considered this problem and came up with an
idea for an all-purpose agricultural machine. This was the origin of a vehicle that
occupies a unique place in automotive history: the Unimog.

our close cooperation for many years

with selected equipment
manufacturers, our equipment-system
partners, who constantly come up with
product innovations that take changes
in market needs into account. Their
work makes the users task lighter,
particular in the provision of communal
services, and help them to keep their
costs low.

The Unimog moved around South

Germany several times before it came to
Gaggenau in 1951, initially to the gold and
silverware factory run by Erhard & Sons in
Schwbisch Gmnd, later to the Gebr. Boehringers mechanical engineering factory in
Gppingen. On June 9th and 10th, 2001, we
can therefore celebrate the Unimogs 50th
anniversary in Gaggenau. A special supplement has been produced to accompany this
issue of UNIMOG JOURNAL. The innumerable friends and enthusiasts that take a
close interest in this universal motor device (the source of the German name) will
be glad to study this fully detailed account
of all the Unimog model series built from
1948 to the present day. (Incidentally, the
supplement also reveals who first suggested the name!)

A look at the Unimog Product Division

(known by its German initials PBU) ,
although topical, has to be more than a
simple historical retrospective. In recent
years and once again only a short time
ago we have taken forward-looking
strategic decisions aimed at boosting the
success of our Unimog business even
further:
The new Unimog U 300, U 400 and
U 500 model series are now on the
European market as implement carriers,
and from March next year onwards, we
shall be offering the U 500 for sale in
North America as well.
As well as introducing the new Unimog
U 300 to U 500 models, we have intensified our cooperation with selected
equipment manufacturers. For an
economically viable solution, the
vehicle and its attachments must be
perfectly matched. This can only
succeed if the interfaces are standardised. A convincing example of this is
the add-on road sweeper, on which we
report in this issue of the Journal.
The world-famous classic Unimogs
have been modernised so that we can
continue to offer them in chassis form
for transport tasks over rough terrain.
Transfer of Unimog activities from
Gaggenau to Wrth will enable the
former plant to be devoted to its new
task as a competence centre for manualshift gearboxes, planetary-hub axles
and other vehicle components.

The Unimog soon became an

indispensable aid in many branches of
trade and industry, market segments and
task areas. Apart from agriculture and
forestry, it is to be found hard at work
today for local authorities in all seasons of
the year, in the construction and energy
supply industries, for fighting forest fires
and for rescue work. Last but not least,
there are Unimogs with rail-wheel attachments acting as shunters and locomotives,
a task at which they excel just as much as
when used on the road.
The main factors that have made the
Unimog so successful in these fifty years
are:
customer loyalty all over the world
the Unimog sales organisation, with its
expertise in system business matters
and its competent support for machines
and equipment

Hans-Jrgen Wischhof:
Moving production to
Wrth will make us even
more competitive

to our staff at various information events

and workforce meetings in March this year
and explained why transfer of our Unimog
activities to Wrth in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany (40 kilometres
from Gaggenau) can only benefit our
future development. After this move we
shall have joint access to the facilities of
Europes largest truck factory.
This will create synergy effects and
enhance our economic viability at a site
that is ideal for our Unimog business
needs.
The move will have no adverse effects
on the support we offer to our customers,
nor with our cooperation with outside
suppliers and the specific Unimog sales
network. Since most PBU employees will
transfer to Wrth, we shall be able to
ensure continuity in every important
business process.
I am convinced that moving to Wrth
will prove to be a further landmark in the
Unimogs continuing success story and
will put us in a position to compete more
strongly than ever before.

Dr. Klaus Maier, Manager of the

DaimlerChrysler Mercedes-Benz Trucks
business division of which the Unimog
Product Division is a part, and myself as
the person responsible for the PBU talked

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

Germany
France
Switzerland

St.Anton

Wallis

Austria

Trentino
Col du Galibier

Italy

Apenin

DWM Graphic

The first winter of the new Series U 300/U 400/U 500

model era. Practical tests and demonstrations were
conducted in various places to demonstrate these
vehicles performance potential. Unimog equipmentsystem
partners from Germany, Italy and France of course
provided their support.

Fit for Europe

without restriction
4

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

A whole series of presentation events

and practical tests was undertaken with
the new Unimog models in various Western European countries to demonstrate
their competence and versatility on winter
service work. The locations ranged from
the World Ski Championships in St. Anton
am Arlberg to a practical demonstration to
experts from the Swiss Army on a totally
snowbound military airfield in Valais.
There were also well-organised winterservice demonstrations in the Italian,
French and Bavarian Alps, reports on
which are given below.
The event held by DaimlerChrysler
France, with ten Unimogs and six trucks
(Atego and Actros) on the notorious Col
du Galibier pass (2,645 m above sea
level), part of the Route des Grandes
Alpes, from Grenoble and the Brianonnais
region to St. Michel-de-Maurienne, proved
to be highly realistic and thoroughly
professional in every respect. Two of the
three technical display days enjoyed
glorious springlike
sunshine over the
peaks of the Massif de
la Vanoise, but the last
day reverted to the
tough reality of winter.
Instead of a routine
demonstration the call
was for winter emergency service. Snow
blew in horizontal
lines across the
second-highest Alpine
pass, which in summer
often presents a tough
challenge to Tour de
France riders.
In view of severe
avalanche warnings,

Unimog International

At the foot of the mighty Grand Galibier (3229 m) in the Western Alps, the winter-service
machines and their crews waited their turn to perform (photo on previous page). Then came
an opportunity to tackle winter clearance tasks for real: the ten Unimogs with their blade
and rotary snowploughs and spreaders from various equipment manufacturers were able to
prove their worth in realistic conditions (photos on this page)

special police permission was needed

before the new Unimogs were permitted
to clear the pass highway up to an altitude
of about 2,000 metres. Experts from local
authorities and road maintenance offices
who had been invited to this event declared themselves most convinced by the
vehicle and attachment concepts and the
way they performed.
More than 500 customers from France
and nearby Italy. but also from Great
Britain, Belgium and Switzerland,
accepted our invitation and were clearly
impressed by the Unimogs reliability and
sheer versatility. This event was also the
successful premiere for the U 500, the
most powerful model of the new
generation, as its advantages could be
demonstrated under hard and realistic
conditions.

(continued on page 6)
UNIMOG
JOURNAL

The Unimog and its various winter-service

attachments are an ideal, powerful
combination for all weather conditions

Jean-Emile Martin, Head of Unimog Sales in

France

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

The French sales subsidiarys slogan,

developed in agreement with the
equipment-system partners, was Donnez
lui les outils, il fera le reste (Give them
the tools and they will do the job).
It was wholeheartedly confirmed!
After this successful event in the Savoy
region, Jean-Emile Martin, Head of
Unimog-Sales in France, said: Cooperation
with our equipment partners such as
Arvel, Sicometal, Schmidt France and
Giletta and Assaloni from Italy works very
well. We hope to establish even more
contacts with new customers as the
equipment manufacturers know the small
sector of local-authority users and their
requirements very thoroughly. The new
Unimog generation turns out to be particularly suitable for this partnership as the
potential for attachments, the new power
hydraulics and the overall concept with

the exceptionally impressive VarioPilot

technology have all proved their worth in
this first winter-service season.
Jean-Emile Martin adds, Our goal is to
take advantage of the customers positive
attitude towards the UGN. Here in France,
the new vehicle generation with its attractive design and its numerous and
extended usage options is very well
received, so now we have to convince our
customers and prospects of the UGNs
economical performance. It has become
obvious again and again that the new
power hydraulics and good value for
money are effective sales points.
Mercedes-Benz Frances statement on the
new Unimog, Nouvel Unimog porte-utils
polyvalent & multi-fonctions, describes
all the advantages of this comprehensive
system, and these were all demonstrated
impressively on the Col du Galibier.

Unimog show in the Italian mountains

To launch the new-generation Unimog models in Italy our colleagues from Unimog Sales led by Guido Corradi decided on a
three-stage strategy. First of all an information and presentation
event was held last June for the main reference customers (we
reported on this in the 2/2000 issue). Next, five winter-service
demonstrations (photos above) were organised, and halfway
through the current year the new models will be demonstrated
with summer-service equipment and the attachments needed to
combat forest fires.
From January to mid-March five new Unimogs with equipment
supplied by the Italian equipment-system partners Assaloni and
Giletta were in action at the winter-service events organised by
DaimlerChrysler Italia; more than 800 decision-makers from 300
local authorities attended. The events were held in Corno alle
Scale (Bologna), Sappada (Trient), Prato Nevoso (Piedmont), on
Mount Etna (Sicily) and in Campo Imperatore (Abruzzi) .

Unimog support for World Ski Championships

The Austrian Unimog general agent, Georg Pappas
Automobil AG of Salzburg, supplied the town of St.
Anton am Arlberg with two Unimogs for the duration
of the Alpine ski championship event. A U 300 and a
U 400 (photos) with full winter-service equipment
were seconded temporarily to the towns machine
fleet, which has made use of Unimogs for communal
tasks for many years now. The Unimog fleet faced its
toughest challenge when the event threatened to
drown in new snow and long delays occurred before
the racing could continue.

Rotary snowplough testing in Valais with the U 400

In the Upper Valais community of Ulrichen on the River Rhne,
not far from the Furka, Grimsel and Nufenen Alpine passes, the
Swiss general agent Robert Aebi AG of Zrich organised a fullscale rotary snowplough test in February this year, with the U 400
as the carrier vehicle. The attachments came from local manufacturer Zaugg and German importer Schmidt from St. Blasien.
The event was highly praised by the experts who attended.

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

Increasing success on Europes roads

More and more European
communal authorities are
adding the latest Series
U 300, U 400 and U 500
Unimogs to their machinery
fleets for work on the roads.
Recent customers include
the Turkish capital of Ankara
and the Federal German
states of MecklenburgVorpommern, Brandenburg
and Baden-Wrttemberg.

Clean Team for Ankara

In the autumn of 2000 the Unimog
Product Division, together with its
Turkish sales partner Koluman Motorlu
Araclar A.S. in Balgat, near the capital
city of Ankara, received an order for 39 U
400 equipment carriers. The complete
order also included add-on attachments
and superstructures from Unimog equipment-system partners Bucher-Schrling,
Leistikow, Mulag Schmidt Vertriebs GmbH
and Schmidt Winterdienst und
Kommunaltechnik. All these Unimogs are
equipped with front-end sweepers, salt
spreaders and snowploughs and there-

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

fore ideally equipped to put things right if

Ankaras roads need attention.
One of the attachments is a brand-new
design: the Unifant 50 swap-body sweeper
from the Bucher-Schrling company,
which can pick up from the road on either
side and can sweep along the left or right
sides of the road. Some of the new
vehicles are also equipped with rotary
snowplough and drain cleaning
attachments. All 39 Unimogs have the
new VarioPower hydraulics and VarioPilot
changeover steering. The customer, the
Greater Municipality of Ankara Public
Authority, has the task of maintaining the
main traffic routes and access roads in
and around the Turkish capital, with a
total length of 1,504 kilometres; several
vehicles are used at once to sweep or clear
these highways, covering either two, three
or four lanes.
Eastern Germany chooses Unimog
More and more local authorities in Eastern Germany have decided that the latest
Unimog technology suits their needs. The
Road Construction and Transport Office in
the German State of MecklenburgVorpommern, for instance, has purchased
ten U 300 and U 400 models that will be
allocated to the local road service offices
in Gstrow, Neustrelitz and Stralsund for
all-the-year-round use. One Unimog U 400
is intended specifically for winter service
work on the Hamburg - Berlin autobahn.
The Federal German State of Brandenburg
has also chosen the Unimog for its highway duties. Dieter Krger, the authoritys
chief equipment officer, is convinced that
the Unimog will give him and his colleagues what they need: Our Unimogs do

the hard work, and theres no alternative

to them! Departmental Director Petra
Mansfeld, confirms this: The Unimog
offers us the economic incentive of being
suitable for all-the-year-round use.
The U 500 is a vehicle that matches our
demand specification exactly. This young
woman runs a major local-government
department with a staff of 560 and is
obliged to exercise close control over her
investment budget, which is becoming
increasingly limited. We have to draw up
our entire investment plans so that the
vehicles and equipment can be utilised as
intensively as possible.
Baden-Wrttemberg favours
rationalisation
The government offices in Stuttgart may
be a long distance from Brandenburg, at
the other end of Germany, but the same
problems have to be faced: how to rationalise equipment and operate it more costeffectively. This trend has now led to a
totally new development in the equipment
sector. The state authorities were considering one-person operation of Unimogs
equipped with mowers, whereupon HansJrg Schell, who is responsible for road
construction and operation in Stuttgart,
came up with an alternative proposal: to
continue with two-person operation but to
combine the embankment mower on
each vehicle with a tandem mower.
Unimog equipment-system partner Mulag
set to and developed a combined TRIO
mower with MKM 700 and MHU 800
units. Hans-Jrg Schell is pleased with the
results:
Today we are able to perform this work
more efficiently. The combined

Unimog International

implements in conjunction with the new

power hydraulics on the U 400 have made
the whole procedure very much more
straightforward.
World Bank helps Poland
to purchase Unimogs
As part of a transport infrastructure
improvement programme in Poland, the
World Bank invited tenders throughout

Europe for winter-service carrier vehicles.

The Unimog Product Division was able to
secure this order despite international
competition. The 30 Type U 1650 vehicles
will be allocated to Polands long-distance
highway administration. All are equipped
with front and rear power take-off shafts,
crawler gearboxes and dual-circuit
hydraulics.

U 400 hard at work with

Mulag TRIO MKM 700 and MHU 800
mowers. From his seat the second member
of the crew can watch and control the
mowing work. Operation of the combined
attachment has become much easier
thanks to the TastTronic device integrated
into the mulching head, which is self-regulating when in action.

Advertisement

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

When space is at a
premium on the
construction site or rough
terrain has to be
negotiated, the MercedesBenz Unimog is in its
element. This was clear
from the carrier vehicles on
display at this years
bauma, the international
exhibition for construction
machinery and equipment.

Compact and flexible

Once again the capital of Germanys
Free State of Bavaria was the focus of interest in the international construction
industry. More than 390,000 visitors from
152 countries turned up during the sevenday exhibition period at
what was

formerly Riem airport

and is now a modern exhibition
centre. Hundreds of cranes and excavator
booms reached up into a blue-and-white
Bavarian sky on the vast open-air site.
Mercedes-Benz was to be found in Hall

10

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

B4; this was the first bauma at which the

Unimog Product Division had been
present alongside the companys trucks
and vans. The stand was neatly laid out
with plenty of space round the exhibits so
that visitors could see them without haste
and hustle.
The well-informed public took a close
interest in the U 500 with Werner frontend generator and Palfinger PK 21.000
crane, and also in a U 400 with Sder
asphalt cutter and water tank, an MPS
clearer-sweeper from Schmidt
Winterdienst und Kommunaltechnik and
a HIAB 035-2 crane with clamshell grab.
An undoubted visual highlight was most
definitely the demonstration of the new
Unimog cab with VarioPilot changeover
steering. At times, the steering wheel and
pedals seemed to be almost constantly on
the move! On the nearby open-air site, the

The Unimog stars in the construction

machinery world. 390,000 visitors crowded
the aisles at the bauma this year, and the
new equipment carriers were greatly
admired

Unimog Product Division presented a

U 400 with hydraulic winch from the
Werner company and HIAB 166E-4 Hipro
crane from HIAB, and also a U 300 with
Werner compressor and ematec M 215
excavator.
One thing was demonstrated very clearly
by our participation in the 2001 bauma:
the new Unimog is a most versatile
member of any companys fleet a professional equipment carrier, all-terrain transport and powerful towing vehicle all in
one.

The use of vehicle-mounted cranes is a

significant factor in the construction industry. The Unimog Product Division had two
exhibits with crane superstructures at the
bauma (photos above and bottom right).
Many visitors also wanted to see how the
changeover steering works

Advertisement

Always at maximum
Its so easy with the CLUTCHMATE
Less strain on the driver, less wear on the machine

TV approved
CLUTCHMATE protects man and machine
Have you ever thought about how much strain is put on a Unimog drivers left knee,
and how often it happens?
Depending on the type of work he might have to press the clutch up to three thousand times a day.
And because human knees vary in strength and load capacity, serious injuries are always occurring.
Sometimes it means that a driver is off work for a while, but it could even lead to
permanent incapacity.

Why choose CLUTCHMATE?

Because it reduces physical strain and protects
knees and backs

It is quick and easy to fit

It requires no modifications to existing mechanisms

It is ideal when stuck in traffic jams and city traffic

It does not affect the licensing of the vehicle in any way

It works like a semi-automatic transmission

It has no effect on any mechanical auxiliaries or hydraulics

It allows drivers to concentrate more on the traffic

It is ideal for use with implements and attachments

and the job in hand

Supply and installation by Unimog distributors only:

T.C. Systems bv, Schelmseweg 1, 6816 PA Arnhem NL
Tel: +31/2 64 42 23 43 Fax: +31/2 64 45 8136

It might even allow a disabled person to be employed

Automatic coupling

Fim!!!

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

11

Canada

Me
xic
o

DWM Graphic

The Unimog sold on the

North American market
will display these two
badges.

The American face of

the Unimog

Unimog for the land of hi-tech

A representative of the American automobile press was baffled when he was
shown just a small collection of potential
Unimog applications. Such versatility is
an everyday thing in Europe one and
the same basic vehicle at work in the
energy-supply and construction
industries, for rescue services and public
authorities, in the fire service etc. But in
the USA, despite its reputation as a hitech country, this situation is unknown.
Some other jaws may drop too in North
America before long, because Freightliner
LLC, a wholly-owned DaimlerChrysler
subsidiary, is about to start selling the
U 500 through its dealer network.
In the USA and Canada the Unimog
U 500 equipment carrier will be badged
as a Freightliner, with the firefighting
versions sold under the brand logo of
American LaFrance, a 100 % Freightliner
subsidiary, as an addition to that
companys range of firefighting vehicles,
which has a high reputation.
The main Unimog applications in
North America are likely to be for fighting
forest fires, using suitable add-on equipment from American LaFrance. Disaster
rescue work, but also community duties
and the tasks carried out by energy
supply companies are other likely opera-

12

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

ting areas. American experts also see

good prospects for the combined rail/road
version.
The market launch in North America
began this spring with the European
version of the U 500. Early in 2002 a
version specifically adapted for North
American market needs will follow.
A series of modifications have been
necessary to enable the vehicle to comply

US tradition in
firefighting
vehicle design:
American
LaFrance

with American and Canadian construction

and use regulations and to satisfy customers requirements. They mainly concern
the cab, the brakes and the engine/ electronics, but a suitable vehicle diagnostic
system has also had to be developed.
DaimlerChryslers American teams are
full of praise for what they describe as a
tough, compact vehicle, proven
worldwide. According to Freightliner,
this is the image that the made in
Germany Unimog enjoys. The
Freightliners President emphasised the
prospects for the Unimog on the North
American market in the following words:
The Unimog will open up new
dimensions for us in the all-wheel-drive
equipment carrier segment.
The Freightliner Unimog for North
America is to be built in Gaggenau,
moving later to the plant in Wrth.

Sales organisation

Work in progress in the Murg Valley. The former German Rail

route is being converted into an urban rapid transit line. The
Unimog with excavator attachment is an invaluable aid on difficult-to-reach embankments

Working on the rails

A major construction site on the new
high-speed rail route from Cologne to the
Rhine-Main area of Germany. Soon ultramodern ICE trains will whisk passengers
in comfort and above all at extremely high
speeds between the principal cities.
Construction work has been in progress
for some months, and flexibility is the
keyword. The Perzl company worked on a
60-kilometre long section of the route
from March 2000 to February 2001. In the
words of General Manager Stieb: We
often had to move from one working site
to another several times a day. The terrain
was very difficult, and we were extremely
glad to have the services of our Unimog
U 1400. Peter Perzl GmbH, a company
based in Leutenbach/Nellmersbach near
Stuttgart, has specialised in the install-

Overhead power lines for electrified train routes:

making holes for the mast foundations is an ideal
task for the Unimog with excavator attachment.
ation of overhead electric wires for some
years now and cooperates closely with
German Rail, but energy supply companies
are also among the clients of this company
with its 30-strong workforce. It lays cables,
carries out earthing work and repairs
concrete structures on Germanys rail
routes. The two partners and general
managers Hartmut and Volkhard Stieb
rely on a U 1400, a U 1200 and a U 900
for all their work, together with an ematec
M 215 excavator attachment. In the Murg
Valley in Germanys northern Black Forest,

the combination of Unimog and add-on

excavator is also a reliable one for these
overhead wiring specialists. The rail route
from Rastatt to Freudenstadt is currently
being converted into a modern urban rapid
transit line, and new masts are needed for
its electrification. In this narrow valley,
space is often at a premium and the
embankments are steep and difficult to
reach; so far, however, the Perzl companys
U 1400 has never failed to be right there
when the task has to be carried out.

Advertisement

DaimlerChrysler and

Gmeiner

A Partnership for Perfection in Winter Services,

with the Unimog U 300 / U 400 / U 500

Professional snowploughs for all

clearing tasks blade widths from
2000 mm to 3200 mm.
Telephone: (+49) 09621/7685-0
Fax: (+49) 09621/768549
e-mail: info@gmeiner-online.de
www.gmeiner-online.de

Extremely shallow-angle spreaders with

silo sizes from 1.8 m3 to 4.0 m3
with the option of wet salt spreading.

W. GMEINER GmbH & Co.

Bgm.-Knoll-Str. 26
92245 Kmmersbruck /Amberg/Germany
UNIMOG
JOURNAL

13

Unimog International

Building
sizzling Manhattan
DWM-Graphic

The Hague

ea
S
rth
o
N

Rotterdam

Netherlands
Terneuzen

Antwerp

Brugge

Belgium

One of the largest of the

giant Texan chemical company Dows European production facilities is in the
south of the Netherlands.
At the moment, its plastics
processing capacity is
being increased. The construction contract went to
Montagewerk GmbH of
Leipzig, Germany, which
has 300 people on the site
and operates two new
Unimog 400 vehicles there.

14

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

The small Dutch town of Terneuzen is

on the Westerschelde, a link between the
North Sea and the port of Antwerp used
by a series of tankers and freighters. This
is where the American chemical corporation Dow operates a plant a tangle of
pipes and towers that looks rather like the
Manhattan skyline when seen in the
regions typical morning mists. When the
wind drops one can hear a sizzling sound
from the distant process equipment with
its chemical reactor columns many metres
high, which is in continuous use. But the

icy wind seldom relaxes its grip, and the

workers from Montagewerk Leipzig feel it
in their bones within a matter of minutes.
Those not directly involved in erecting the
plant extension work in Moeselbank,
about three kilometres distant. They no
longer register the presence of the giant
steel pumps, compressors, burn-off stacks
and tanks that have kept them away from
their families in Saxony for so many
months.

Unimog International

Most of the pipes used to erect the

plant also come from Grosskayna near
Leipzig. They were brought to the site by
truck through Belgium and across the
border into the Netherlands, and
unloaded by Unimog at the Moeselbank,
where an intermediate depot has been set
up for these pipes, which are often up to
1.60 metres in diameter.
Today, for instance, both U 400s with
their Palfinger PK 17000 cranes of
18 metres radius are working together to

Since the pipe depot is below sea level, the Unimogs wheels often sink into
the soft sandy soil. But they havent yet been brought to a standstill and in
view of their capabilities this is highly unlikely.

unload the latest truck to arrive. They

pick up the heavy pipes as a perfectly
synchronised team, so that the freight
company can start the return journey
without delay. Time is money is a
maxim that Reiner Niltop, the sales
engineer from Montagewerk Leipzig, is
unlikely to forget, but there are other
sound economic reasons too why the
company decided to operate Unimogs on
this Dutch site, where the work is
scheduled to last for more than a year.
We not only use the Unimogs to load and
unload trucks and to move materials over
very long distances within the site, but
also to assist the erecting teams in their
work by moving pipe elements into position with the attached cranes. This often
avoids the need for an additional crane
that would stand around idle and cost
money during the unloading periods.

Its quicker together: when both U 400s

tackle the task with their Palfinger cranes,
the truck can be turned round faster, which
saves a great deal of expense on major
erecting projects

There is yet another reason why the erecting specialists from Germanys State of
Saxony value the services of the new
Unimog. Logistics manager Thomas
Manleitner explains: The Mussel-shell

Bank is actually below sea level, with

loose sand as the subsoil. Trucks can only
reach this area if we lay down special
steel plates whereas the Unimog can go
anywhere!

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UNIMOG
JOURNAL

15

Unimog International

Denmark: up and away with the Unimog

Danish energy supply
company SEAS Distribution
is the largest provider of its
kind in this Scandinavian
country, with more than
225,000 customers in the
southern lake area and on
the islands of Mn, Lolland
and Falster. Unimogs from
the light and heavy model
series help to maintain the
14,623-km long supply
network.

Evidently satisfied with the Unimog U 100 L:

management and staff of our client SEAS
Top: The new Unimog U 100 L with a Falck
Schmidt boom lift. . .
. . . which is seen fully extended at the top
right and is obviously ideal for servicing
work on the supply lines

The most recent U 100 L vehicles

supplied to SEAS have a boom lift
supplied by the local equipment manufacturer Falck Schmidt and capable of
reaching an extended height of 10.5
metres. These Unimogs are primarily
employed on maintaining the SEAS hightension networks. This is a task that calls
for vehicles with all-terrain capability,
since the electrical fitters are often called
out to inaccessible rural sites in poor
weather in order to restore the power
supply. The U 1850 that has been performing this work for some time, and also a
U 1700, have Palfinger cranes mounted on
them and also carry drilling attachments
for use when new masts have to be
erected. Other Unimogs in the SEAS fleet
are three U 1750s, also with boom lift for
overhead inspection work, and a U 1250
equipped as a mobile workshop.
The Unimog demonstrates its full
versatility when operated by this Danish
energy provider, and has proved most
reliable in off-road use. No other type of
vehicle unites so many product
advantages, which explains why
customers in the farthest corners of
Europe operate it for a wide variety of
tasks. The Danish SEAS company already
has a fleet of 125, and declares that there
is simply no substitute for the Unimog
when it comes to providing a consistent,
reliable service to the public.

U 100 L and one of the trusty U 1850 models

with Palfinger crane and drilling attachment

16

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

Unimog International

Sussex

Great Britain:
a convincing rescue vehicle
In the late autumn of 2000 a Unimog
U 100 L operated by the East Sussex Fire
Brigade helped to rescue many
inhabitants of the town of Crawley, in
particular 35 severely disabled residents
of an old peoples home, from a potential
flood disaster. After prolonged and heavy

rainfall, several rivers had burst their

banks, and the industrial town of Crawley
and the mediaeval town of Cuckfield were
in particular danger. The Unimog with its
container body soon proved to be ideal for
moving people from flooded areas to

safety, and also demonstrated the high

performance of its pump. Many elderly
people would have been incapable of
saving themselves from the worsening
floods, had it not been for the often
dramatic efforts of the rescue services
and their reliable Unimog. The same
vehicle was also called upon to rescue
animals from nearby farms. Dave Sutton,
senior officer of the Crowborough and
Cuckfield Fire Stations, confirmed what
an immense benefit the Unimog had been:
During the entire floodwater catastrophe,
the Unimog played a successful part in all
our dramatic and often hazardous rescue
operations.
After this highly positive experience
with the U 100 L the East Sussex Fire
Brigade has now ordered a Unimog
U 1550 L/37 with long wheelbase and a
211-hp diesel engine. The new vehicle too
will be specially equipped for rescue and
disaster work.

The rear-mounted
excavator is an
essential attachment
when digging foundations for power masts
A practical aid in
maintaining the
power supply to
Finlands capital city
of Helsinki: the U 300
with Palfinger crane,
rear-mounted excavator and rope winch

Finland: an interesting configuration

The new Unimog model generation has
already begun day-to-day work in Finland.
The Finnish Unimog general agent, the
Veho Group Oy AB in Espoo near
Helsinki, has sold a vehicle with an interesting specification to the electricity
authority in the capital city of Helsinki.
The U 300 has a long wheelbase (3,600
mm) and is equipped with a Palfinger PK

7501 crane, a HI-TEC H 230 rear-end excavator and a Sepson 250-metre rope winch
driven by a generator rated at 6.5 kW. The
crane and excavator attachments can be
remote-controlled. The power hydraulics
are what makes it possible to install such
a comprehensive set of equipment on this
new Unimog, which is intended for maintenance work on the power supply

network and for the erection of new power

masts.
In addition the U 300 is fitted with a
locally built load platform that has
additional compartments for the storage
of tools.

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

17

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Unimog Unique is how the title of the

supplement translates that is included
with this issue of UNIMOG JOURNAL. The
occasion being celebrated falls due on
June 3rd 2001, the 50th anniversary of
Mercedes-Benz Unimog production in
Gaggenau. After this half-century there,
Unimog production is about to be transferred to Wrth, in Germanys
Rhineland-Palatinate region an opportunity to examine the benefits for the
future of the Unimog that this move
will bring.

Unimog moves to Wrth

Transferring the Unimog
Product Division to the
DaimlerChrysler truck
assembly plant in Wrth
naturally gives rise to
questions about the future
of the Gaggenau plant. The
Group will convert this in
successive stages into a
Competence Center for
automated- and manualshift transmissions.
At the Gaggenau plant about 85
percent of the employees are already
occupied with the production of
components and assemblies for the
recently established DaimlerChrysler
Powersystems division. Specialising in
these activities will offer the Gaggenau
plant additional opportunities for growth.
By 2007, 250 million Euro will have been
invested in this re-alignment process.
The DaimlerChrysler Powersystems
division generates a total turnover of 7.3
billion Euro within the worldwide
commercial-vehicles operating area and is
thus a major source of Group commercialvehicle business. In 2000 it produced
520,000 on- and off-highway diesel
engines, 800,000 axles, 260,000 transmissions and 1,400,000 steering systems.

18

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

Systematic specialisation and the

grouping of similar production processes
are important factors in guaranteeing the
ability of the German DaimlerChrysler
plants to remain competitive.
The Wrth plant has significant advantages for Unimog in terms of work
sequences, logistics and the overall organisation of this product division. Wrth is
today one of the most modern, efficient
truck plants in Europe. In the words of Dr.
Klaus Meier, Mercedes-Benz Truck Division Manager: This move will establish
our Unimog activities on a better
economic basis and ensure their longterm security.

Hans-Jrgen Wischhof, Unimog

Product Division Manager: The year in
which we are celebrating five decades of
Mercedes-Benz Unimog construction in
Gaggenau is, thanks to the move to
Wrth, an opportunity to enter the future
with a more confident approach to
business success.
Plans have been drawn up for most of
the members of the 700-strong Unimog
staff to make the move to the new location
in Wrth.

NISCOPE
Roaming the
world

The Maximog should be capable

of tackling just about any road or
track on this earth; it is an expeditionary vehicle with exclusive
equipment, based on the Unimog.
At the moment it is resting in the
Museum of Modern Art in New York
City, but will soon be on the road
again with California and Arizona as
its destinations.

Fighting forest fires

in Greece
In good time for the summer season, the Hellenic Fire Brigade run by the Greek Ministry of
the Interior will take delivery of 63 U 2150 L/38 vehicles, which are to be used to fight
forest fires throughout this country in the Mediterranean. The superstructures, from the
Greek manufacturer ELBO, include a 2,500-litre water tank and a reservoir for up to 200
litres of foam. This order was secured by Greek Unimog importer Promot Lainopoulos
against tough international competition. The photo showing some of the vehicles already
delivered was taken in front of the importers head offices in Athens.

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HIGH AND LOW PRESSURE TECHNOLOGY

FOR THE NEW UNIMOG U 300 / U 400 / U 500
MODEL SERIES

Our range of products for the Unimog:

Universal high pressure cleaning
equipment for front and rear installation
High-pressure surface cleaning
equipment, also combined with front-end
sweepers
High-pressure drain cleaning equipment
for mounting on the platform subframe
Suction and rinsing containers with a
total capacity of up to 7,000 litres
Municipal sludge suction vehicles with a
total capacity of up to 8,000 litres
Water containers of up to 7,000 l
Special superstructures upon request
(e.g. low pressure equipment, watering
arms, hot water devices)

Joachim Leistikow GmbH

Altknigstrae 2
D-61138 Niederdorfelden
Tel. (0) 6101 / 5364-0
Fax. (0) 6101 / 33461
Internet: http://www.leistikow-gmbh.de
E-Mail: Vertrieb@leistikow-gmbh.de

UNIMOG
JOURNAL

19