K&S Group breaks the mould with IVECO ACCO

[kscarbel2]

Iveco Australia  /  August 30, 2017

It’s common for an ACCO to deliver concrete, remove waste or drop-off equipment on a tilt tray, but the same benefits that make the ACCO a favourite in these applications is proving to be an excellent fit for the delivery of medical gases.

The K&S Group is a prime contractor to Air Liquide Healthcare, a leading provider of respiratory care services and medical gases, and recently joining service on the contract was a new model ACCO 6x4 fitted with a unique curtainside body, incorporating rear-mounted Moffett forklift and sidelifter.

The ACCO’s low tare weight provides the scope for a high payload while still accommodating the Moffett forklift, leading to a very flexible delivery vehicle. Even with the forklift, the ACCO offers over 10.7 tonnes of payload. The tray accommodates 10 stillages, each stillage houses 15 cylinders of medical gases.

In this application, the Moffett is used to unload the larger stock quantities and not disrupt any customer workers at the delivery point – and there’s no need to wait for a forklift. Some of the clients, such as hospitals don’t have their own forklifts which makes the ACCO’s set-up even more practical.

As well as delivering from home base in Melbourne to regional cities as far away as Albury, the ACCO is also used on metropolitan routes, where again flexibility is the key.

Delivering to hospitals in inner-city Melbourne, the roads and access can be tight, having the Moffett which is road registered allows for the vehicle to be parked in a suitable location, with the delivery being completed into the more restricted areas with the forklift.  

For efficiency and safety, the ACCO is fitted with an in-cabin camera and data tracking device, other security features include keycode access to the cargo area.

Along with delivering via the rear-mounted forklift, the ACCO’s curtainside body features a sidelifter which allows the driver to safely and conveniently unload smaller cylinder quantities – these can weigh as much as 60 kilograms each, so the lift is a necessity.

Given the customised nature of the body, IVECO Australia worked closely with the K&S Group and bodybuilder, Fleetweld, to adapt the ACCO cab chassis along the assembly line, allowing for faster and more efficient body fitment.

Amongst the special requirements was about a metre of space behind the cabin for the side lifter platform as well as room for steps, this involved relocating battery boxes and fuel tanks, a request comfortably accommodated by IVECO’s engineering and production teams.

This ACCO is equipped with an 8.9 litre engine producing 320 horsepower (239kW) and 1350Nm of torque, and when combined with the Allison Gen 5, 6-speed full automatic transmission, provides a comfortable and hassle-free driving experience.

Driver feedback has been very positive, with comments made regarding comfort – even after long trips – and clear instrumentation.

Vehicle servicing is undertaken by K&S Group’s in-house maintenance division, it’s a straightforward process thanks to excellent parts availability particularly with the ACCO’s American drivetrain.

.