With its SMART STEEL innovation drive, SAF-HOLLAND upgrades its mechanical components with sensors and electrics to save users of its products a lot of work in their daily tasks. The supplier for commercial vehicle components combines its fifth wheels with the RECOLUBE® lubricant pump to automate the lubrication process.
“For fleet operators, the use of our lubricant pump pays off quickly: The automation replaces manual lubrication
while also dosing the grease sparingly and precisely, allowing commercial vehicles to be run more economically in the long term,” explains Alan Feltham, Director Engineering FW, KP & Coupler at SAF-HOLLAND.

Automatic grease distribution The permanently installed RECOLUBE® system supplies fifth wheels with grease
independently: The pump uses the integrated lubricant distributor to dispense the perfectly measured quantity of the RECOLUBE® Power SKX 372 high-performance lubricant, providing optimum care for the fifth wheel. Five independently working pump elements use high pressure to deliver the grease to the top plate,where lubrication grooves distribute it evenly. This provides permanent lubrication for the lock and four other points on the top plate.

Precisely adapted lubrication plan RECOLUBE® is connected to the central on-board computer of the tractor unit with a standard interface. A precisely adapted lubrication plan is stored there, which the system uses to provide regular lubrication of the top plate – about every 90 minutes in regular driving operation. The fill level of the lubricant is visible in the transparent supply tank at a glance. When the grease reservoir is used up, the RECOLUBE® system electronically shows an “empty” notification on the cockpit display. The installed standard lubricating nipple makes refilling of the depot quick and easy: A standard commercial grease press transports the special grease into the tank until the maximum fill level is reached. After this, the system – which is otherwise completely maintenancefree – is ready for use again immediately. The tank can hold the lubricant supply for about one year or approx. 100,000 kilometres driven. Thanks to its high pump capacity, RECOLUBE® works reliably even at extreme temperatures between -25 °C and 80 °C and under difficult conditions.

Environmentally friendly system

Where the SAF-HOLLAND lubricant pump is used, for example in all heavy MAN trucks, the drivers or workshop employees no longer lubricate the fifth wheels by hand. RECOLUBE® doses the grease precisely so that only the actually required lubricant quantity is used and no more excess oil or grease end up on the road. “The automatic and highly precise dosing of the high-performance grease through the lubricant pump lowers consumption while protecting the environment in the long term,” says Gerhard Herberg, Director OEM Truck/Bus Sales at SAF-HOLLAND.

In addition to the new area of application together with the adjustable fifth wheel SK-S 36.20H, RECOLUBE® is suitable for fifth wheels in the 20-ton category SKS 36.20. In combination with the heavy-duty fifth wheel SK-HD 38.36 up to 36 tons,the lubricant pump from SAF-HOLLAND has been installed in heavy MAN trucks since January 2017 as a standard.