What can you do if you just can’t fit enough in your slurry tanker; hook another onto the rear?
That’s what Nuhn Industries – a Canadian firm – advocates.
Practically unheard of here in Ireland, the company is a well-known manufacturer of slurry equipment in its native market. It produces agitators, pumps and injection systems of varying sizes, as well as tankers.
The company is based in Ontario. Among its most notable products is the ‘Quad-Steer articulating tank’. This rig, with a capacity of 10,000-16,000 gallons (US), is effectively a slurry tanker road-train.
The tanker rig incorporates electronically-steered axles. Four of the six axles – the front and rear axles on both tanker units – can steer; hence the ‘Quad-Steer’ designation in the name. This ‘active’ or ‘forced’ steering system also works in reverse.
The steering angle is automatically restricted with increasing speed. This, says Nuhn, increases stability and safety – as well as making the whole rig “driver-friendly” to handle.
The steering system is “proven technology from Germany”. Nuhn claims that it is among the most advanced on the market.
The Quad-Steer articulating tank is designed to travel at high speeds. The chassis under each tanker is rated to 40mph. There are drum brakes on all 12 wheels. A hydraulic suspension system is said to provide a “silky smooth ride, especially when full”; the rig runs on 35.5 X 32 tyres.
Various specifications are available, including vacuum-fill and top-fill configurations. The company claims that the rig is built to last; some hose connections are even Kevlar-coated.
Various pump options are available; the PTO-powered versions can fill the tanks at a rate of 3,000 gallons/min; the more costly hydraulic option works at up to 2,000 gallons/min. The two tanker units are plumbed together; there is a common fill point (and emptying outlet) for both.
Where did Nuhn Industries come from?
The company’s origins can be traced back to 1902, when founder Simon Nuhn opened a blacksmith shop in Wartburg, Ontario. Since then, much has changed – with the business having grown significantly in the interim.
In 1965, a later member of the family – Dennis Nuhn – made the outfit’s first slurry spreader. It was fabricated from an old gas tank; the tyres came off an airplane.
The company moved to its current location in 1984; a major extension was built in 1998 – increasing the size of the workshop to over 25,000ft². Yet another extension was built just two years ago. Now the facility extends over 100,000ft².
Having survived two world wars and the Great Depression, the company now exports to a growing number of international markets.
