According to Bell Equipment product marketing manager Tristan du Pisanie, the Bell B30E 4x4 – launched at Intermat 2018 - supplements the company's traditional 6x6 ADT range by providing a practical alternative to those customers who have had to choose between tipper trucks, rigid dump trucks and 6x6 ADTs. In addition to smaller quarry operations, the truck will also target specific markets, such as tunnelling.
While not possessing the extreme off-road capabilities of a 6x6, the B30E 4x4 still offers sound all-weather characteristics on undulating haulage roads and light terrain, and provides better manoeuvrability in confined material handling areas or stock yards. Having one less axle means no tyre scuffing - which results in significantly reduced tyre wear compared to 6x6 applications on hard ground.
The front tyres are typical 23.5R25 tyres whereas the heavier loaded rear axle uses 29.5R25 tyres, commonly found on 40tonne ADTs. With its oscillation joint providing permanent contact of all wheels, and a well-balanced load distribution (empty: 50/50; laden: 33/66), the 21.5tonne Bell B30E 4x4 proves itself far superior to rigid tippers or tractor-trailers at load and dump areas, or in wet conditions.
The new two-axle truck is based on the 6x6 model Bell B30E and shares the front chassis and oscillation/articulation joint. This means that Bell Equipment customers benefit from the 246kW Mercedes-Benz engine, six-gear Allison automatic transmission with integrated automatic retarder and a comprehensive package of productivity, safety and ease of operation features. These features are based on real-time data collection by the truck’s sensors (on-board weighing, pitch/roll sensor, and so on) and are controlled by embedded software in the truck controller. The wet brake system is the same as the B30E on the front axle while the rear axle has a larger set of brakes from Bell’s 6x6 B40E.
With an identical payload to the B30E 6x6 of 28tonnes, the major differences are the shorter rear chassis with a solidly mounted Bell 36tonne axle and the newly designed 18.6m³ bin. Compared to the three-axle ADT, the B30E 4x4's outer turning circle diameter is 1.3m smaller (14.6m), which makes manoeuvring in narrow loading or tipping spaces easier and faster. The short bin allows optimal loading times for silo discharge or with wheeled loaders, and is also compatible with the more typical excavator loading method.
