Since 1981, E-Plas has become synonymous with manufacturing high quality industrial and engineering performance plastics for a range of industries and scenarios.
One primary role is in the trucking industry, and Tefco Trailers owner, Richard Brown, shares why he uses E-Plus products in his trailer manufacturing business.
Tefco Trailers started life in 1988 when Richard and Sue Brown opened their trailer manufacturing and repair business in Goulburn, New South Wales. Their hard work and dedication saw the business expanding in employees and production rates, and by 2001 Tefco had expanded northwards, opening its new manufacturing and repair facility in Murarrie, Brisbane.
The business kept innovating and moving with the times, introducing new trailer designs for a range of industries. While trucking businesses and partnerships come and go in a tight market, one collaboration has stood the test of time. For Tefco Trailers, that collaboration was with E-Plas.
“We’ve dealt with E-Plas since 2002, and over the last five or six years, have been using a lot of E-Plas tipper floor lining material,” Richard says.
Richard has found that E-Plas products, particularly its QuickSilver liner, have proven to be standout performers for his business as well as his clients.
“We use E-Plas QuickSilver products across our entire trailer range, particularly in rigid and dog trailers, which are mainly in the quarry industry,” he says. “We’ve used some other E-Plas materials but over the last five years it’s been a lot of trailer lining material.
“E-Plas has been really good with supplying them, and that’s the main reason why we’ve stayed with them – because they’re reliable, cooperative and they carry stock, and they have it when we need it.”
Richard has been a strong advocate of the E-Plas products over the years, coming to know exactly what his clients need in a truck trailer – safety, particularly while tipping, ease of use, low maintenance and long lifespan.
“People are mainly concerned about safety, especially in the longer four-, five- and six-axle dog trailers, chassis tippers as well as tip-over axles that are in the sand and gravel businesses,” he says. “It just makes the unloading procedure a lot safer. QuickSilver unloads very quickly, so our customers find the product very effective.
“Customers have also been very happy with the wearing and endurance of it. We’ve got our own plastic welders in Goulburn, so if anyone needs repair work done on the lining, we can cut it down and re-weld a new section into it. But we’ve never had to because of how durable it is.”
As a result of the E-Plas liners ticking all the boxes with its clients’ needs, Tefco will be showcasing the QuickSilver Heavy Duty Floor liner at its stand at the Brisbane Truck Show from 15 to 18 May.
Tefco Trailer’s stand will feature three ‘showstopper’ units, one of which, a four-axle dog and rigid tipper body mounted on a black Kenworth T909, will be equipped with the new QuickSilver Heavy Duty Liner. That tipper body has been built for High Group.
The trailer is a Performance-Based Standards (PBS) approved 20m rigid and four-axle dog trailer which will include the QuickSilver Heavy Duty floor lining in addition to heavy-duty rock walls, tailgate locking indicators, under-coaming lighting, a custom black paint job, Airtec gauges, Hendrickson HLX7 axles and Armoury chrome rims.
Even though Tefco has had limited exposure to the QuickSilver Heavy Duty floor lining, Richard says he recognises the clear advantages of showcasing it at the leading trucking show, including its higher resistance to rock impact and its longevity.
“We chose the heavy-duty option for its superior durability and ability to handle harsh operating conditions, ensuring safety and efficiency for demanding applications,” he says. “Its biggest strengths include durability, the ability to handle harsh conditions, quick installation and a safety boost by reducing sticking and lower tipping angles.”
Richard now sees the QuickSilver Heavy Duty liner as the ideal fit for future production of Tefco’s trailers.
“We’ll definitely be using the heavy-duty liner,” he says. “Len Darroch, the State Manager for Brisbane, is very accommodating and very good to work with. He always goes the extra mile to help us.”
With glowing customer feedback on the range of E-Plas products, particularly the QuickSilver range, Tefco Trailers is destined to continue this winning partnership.
“We’re 100-per-cent E-Plas supporters and we’ll remain that way in the future, whether it’s through QuickSilver Heavy Duty or the standard one,” Richard says. “We have a great working relationship, and they give us competitive pricing with the product.”
E-Plas produces a wide range of heavy-duty plastic liners, covering the range of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylenes (UHMW-PE), for use in a variety of industry scenarios. Its standard QuickSilver product is the ultimate state-of-the-art industrial strength UHMW-PE continuous liner for truck and trailer combinations. Generally used in end tippers, side tippers and for quick-release applications, the floor liner eliminates a number of problems for operators.
QuickSilver ensures trucks are tough, safe and productive all at once. According to E-Plas, it is a proven industry performer across several sectors including bulk handling, mining, minerals, agriculture, grain and transport. The material was designed and engineered specifically for intense applications, evident with its superior toughness and durability, with E-Plas stating it can haul and tip any material with ease in any climate or environment, acting as a great long-term investment for fleets.
QuickSilver increases the lifetime of a product by preventing corrosion. In the case where a unit may be carting iron ore with moisture in it, for example, it will prevent any sort of rust in the truck from developing which could then damage the body.
QuickSilver also reduces downtime and expenses, particularly in cases where a truck isn’t cleared out properly due to the product sticking. In addition, it weighs less than steel and aluminium, while outwearing both metals, and its abrasion, impact and corrosion resistance protect the integrity of the original equipment, extending the life of a truck body.
Meanwhile, the TIVAR 88 and TIVAR 88-2 products, distributed in Australia by E-Plas, have been recognised as premium, top-tier lining grades for over 40 years. Both products have a low coefficient of friction (COF) that permits sticky materials, such as coal, bauxite, synthetic gypsum, sand, iron, fly ash, clay and overburden, to move freely and discharge without hang-up. They therefore hit the nail on the head by having a low COF that enables free movement of these materials.
Furthermore, E-Plas’ TIVAR ECO UHMW-PE offering exhibits excellent abrasion and corrosion resistance, outstanding impact strength, minimal moisture absorption, and a low coefficient of friction. For these reasons it is often a favoured solution for wear and outrigger pads, strips, rails and guides, rollers, conveyors, chutes, hoppers, impact plates and asphalt equipment components.
TIVAR ECO UHMW-PE is joined by TIVAR Sterra UHMW-PE which is produced from re-processed, industrial ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene materials. These recycled shapes are then re-purposed for use in a variety of industries such as construction and heavy equipment, agriculture and grain handling, bulk material and parcel handling and automotive and transportation.
As a premium grade UHMW-PE that is economical and eco-friendly, TIVAR Sterra components exhibit excellent abrasion and corrosion resistance, outstanding impact strength, minimal moisture absorption and a low coefficient of friction. For these reasons, TIVAR Sterra UHMW-PE, much like E-Plas other lining options, is often a favoured solution.
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