BPW’s award-winning drive axle, originally intended for agricultural applications, is to cross the off-highway boundaries and is now available for the construction industry.
Enabling smaller towing vehicles to handle loads of up to 13,500kg, the Agro-Drive hydraulic drive axle is set to make its debut at the world’s largest construction trade fair, Bauma, this year.
Already a hit within the agricultural segment, the system was awarded an ‘Innovations in agricultural technology’ prize after receiving the most votes in an industry vote in Germany.
By distributing the drive power to two additional wheels, the system develops a high torque without damaging the ground. It is prepared for a tire pressure control system (RDS) as standard, which optimizes the contact area of the wheels for the particular ground conditions.
The installation position and cable routing of optional sensors (tire pressure control system, rotation-direction and speed sensors, and ABS) has been designed to provide maximum protection and easy maintenance.
Depending on the requirements, the system can be set up without suspension or can be combined with leaf, air and hydraulic suspension.
With an integrated automatic freewheel, the shiftable two-stage drive also enables smoother movement across wet, steep, sandy or muddy terrain, and achieves higher road speeds than is usually possible.
Peter Lindner, agricultural sales manager at BPW Bergische Achsen in Wiehl, said, “Going on when others stop – this adds a real competitive edge for building contractors, too. We are proud to officially present our drive system for the construction sector for the first time at Bauma.”
