C4I: Terrain torture tests Mercedes style | ADM Nov 09
David Jones | Karlsruhe, Germany
For security reasons, photographs of the production plant were restricted, but doing so could not have done it justice anyway.
The main building is over 300 metres wide, in excess of a kilometre long.
Most of the work is done on the second floor, all computer-controlled, so that the chassis systems can be rotated and gravity can lower heavy aspects such as engine and gearbox into place before rotating again for final construction.
Eighty per cent of supply components are supplied by German companies, and 10 per cent being from local suppliers, assisting with employment and certainty of supply.
With over 500 variations on the vehicle range, plus a further range of bodies to suit various applications, there's a vehicle to suit almost any need.
All steel is supplied galavanised and by the end of 2010 Mercedes will also produce all its own steel, further securing supply chain management issues.
The plant has over 900 robotic forklifts transporting equipment from base to base, with human intervention only to ensure that every part was inspected ... yet again.
No part receives less than three separate inspections, at each stage, and as each is added to others, further inspections are carried out.
In the special trucks divisions, producing the Actross 8x8 and Zetross 6x6, production drops to around 18 per day per shift, still a substantial output for such vehicles.
However, with two full shifts per day currently operating, each producing 135-140 bodies per day, plus extraneous outside production adding to the output, this plant can produce up to 420 medium duty truck bodies per day, each taking around 15 hours to construct and another 25 hours to paint.
As at October 5 this year 1,119 Unimogs, 1,260 Econics and 85 Zetross' have been produced this year, and over 150,000 are in service around the world.
Made to measure
The fundamental approach of Mercedes is to tailor the output to match the client's input needs.
What you want is what you get, as these are specified MOTS vehicles, not COTS.
None of the vehicles in the range is a "green-painted commercial vehicle"; rather, the initial concepts are tested in the commercial world, lessons learned, and military vehicles developed from the commercials, as distinct from trying to militarise an existing commercial vehicle.
Testing is carried out at Mercedes' Ötigheim site.
The site is compact by expectations, but very effective.
All lumps, bumps and hills are designed to test certain aspects:
• water clearance to 1.2 metres,
• slopes and traction to 45 degrees,
• twisting moments such that the body (and hence payload) stays near vertical, but the cab leans,
• other twists using granite boulders or serious potholes to twist both ends of the vehicle,
• mud sections to test traction,
• steep slopes to test gears and brakes, including in reverse.
Mercedes trucks invariably have a few things in common:
• a family of fitness-for-purpose vehicles, in load range from 0.5 tonne to 1110 tonne,
• in most cases, a capacity to twist the sub-frame up to 600mm such that the body remains near vertical, thereby ensuring the safe transport of contents
• in many cases, eyehooks to allow the entire vehicle to be lifted by crane or helicopter
• a full ILS support system delivering very cost-effective Through-Life Support which leads to relatively-low total cost of ownership.
All technical data about each vehicle is available from Mercedes, so ADM won't go into great technical detail.
However, the full range of vehicles was tested or driven by their professional drivers (who clearly still imagine themselves as rally drivers).
Shaking us up were:
• G-Wagens in 4x4 and 6x6 variants, with payloads to near 2.0 tonne
• Unimog 4x4's in many variations, inc FGA 12.5 (tonne), U-3000 (2-3.0 tonne payload), U-4000 (2-3.0 tonne) and U-5000 (up to 5.0 tonne) with coil springs and gas shockers, portal axles and diff-locks adjustable on the move, plus other features to numerous to note
• Zetross in 4x4 (4-6.0 tonne) and 6x6 (7-10.0 tonne), somehow, almost "normal"
• Atego 4x4 (3-5.0 tonne) cab-over and with armoured turret roof as an option,
• Axor 4x4 (5-7.0 tonne) cab-over with wheelbases 3.6 to 4.5m
• Actross HD (cab-over) in a range 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 fully armoured, wheelbases 3.6 - 4.8 metres and payloads 7.0 - 18.0 tonne
• Dingo 2, a special development based on a Unimog with a KMW armoured body on top, designed to keep up with a tank in cross-country travel at speeds to 60kph.
With Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS, the capacity to adjust tyre pressures while in motion to suit sudden changes in ground type), load carrying capacities across a full range, and integrated armour via Minefloor and Ballistic Protection to STANAG 2 designed in from the drawing board stage, not a stuck-on after-thought, Mercedes offers all countries a transport solution to suit their needs or can design a new one to suit the customer.
With testing under way covering a raft of issues under Land 121, Mercedes is offering solutions across multiple platforms, such as G-Wagens in various forms and Medium and Heavy trucks under Phase 3 and intends to offer G-Wagens under Phase 5A with an emphasis on the family of vehicles concept.
As mentioned last month in ADM, the production line is also integrating parts of the Elbit C4I system into the G-Wagen under Ph 3.
Disclaimer: David Jones travelled to Germany as a guest of Mercedes.