Using Mähler's radar hitch saves lives by creating a free field of view for the radar and is the “obvious choice when the technology is available” for mounting a plow

A few years ago, the haulier Ronny Gustavsson was called to be part of a team investigating an accident, where a truck had tragically driven directly into a stationary vehicle in front of it. The fatal accident could have been avoided if the truck had been fitted with Mähler’s specially designed radar hitch.

“If the truck in the accident had been fitted with Mähler’s radar-adapted plow hitch, the radar and anti-collision equipment would have automatically slowed down the truck and a life could have been saved”, says Ronny, who owns and runs the company Hamneda Grus & Åkeri AB in Ljungby.

Today’s conventional solution is to mount the plow directly onto the truck, blocking the vehicle’s anti-collision equipment. The radar at the front of the truck is deactivated when the plough hitch is mounted.

So, to solve the problem, Mählers, in collaboration with several truck manufacturers, have developed a radar-adapted plow hitch. The new design involves mounting the plow hitch on the plow and not the truck so it won’t block the truck’s radar sensors.

Immediately after the accident, Ronny decided that the next truck he had would be equipped with such a plow hitch.

“I had previously heard about Mähler’s solution and after the tragic, fatal accident it was obvious to me to equip our new Scania R730 with the new radar hitch. It has a completely new construction and design compared to its predecessors that did not obscure today’s modern radar technology when the plow is disconnected. The radar-adapted plow hitch system is based on the fact that the plow hitch has been moved from the truck to be mounted on the plow instead, which creates a free field of view for the radar”, says Ronny.

Mählers announces that the new radar hitch provides additional benefits, such as the air flow through the radiator is not disturbed as much when compared to previous hitch systems. Another advantage of Mähler’s new radar hitch is that the weight from the traditional plow hitch can instead be used for load weight when the plows are not used. Mählers also offers an adapter with coupling gate to adapt older plows to the new radar hitch system.

Watch a film about Ronny Gustavsson and the radar hitch on Mähler’s Youtube Channel

Facts:
In 2015, the EU introduced requirements – Directive EU347 / 2012 – on the radar at the front of certain truck chassis. The radar is an important part of the AEBS (Advancing Emergency Breaking System). Through a collaboration with truck manufacturers, Mählers has developed a plow hitch that does not obscure the trucks’ radar sensors.

The radar hitch is available for the following truck models (March 2020) *: Volvo FM, Volvo FH, Volvo FMX, Scania R and Scania NTG

* For further and current information on model compatibility, contact Mählers

Coupling gate: weight 145kg
VV95 Adapter: 95kg (Note: Coupling gate must be used)
Accessories: Hand pump

Publicerat: 22 April, 2020