East Manufacturing's new Genesis aluminum dump and transfer trailers will cost less to operate and last longer, president Dave Tate said in introducing the design at Mid-America.
The most striking aspect of the new Genesis trailer is the clean, smooth sidewalls of polished aluminum. The smooth sidewalls mean better aerodynamics, a growing concern for owner-operators as the price of fuel fluctuates wildly.
Without the added drag of external posts, the aerodynamics of Genesis trailers can yield fuel savings of 5-10%, equivalent to an extra 1/4 - 1/2 mile per gallon. The smooth sidewalls of Genesis trailers can be left polished as they come from the East factory or used as the base for company names, logos, and graphics.
The sidewalls are built of double-wall aluminum extrusions robotically welded together in a patented process. Each two-inch thick extrusion runs the full height of the sidewall, and has two internal ribs connecting the inner and outer skins. Computer analysis, laboratory testing, and field testing show this sidewall to have superior strength, with better resistance against bowing than the traditional sheet-and-post construction, according to East.
The double-wall configuration also prevents dings on the interior from showing on the exterior, an advantage for maintaining trailer appearance and resale value.
With vertical ribs every three inches, the Genesis sidewall has eight times the support provided by external posts positioned every 25 inches, according to East analysis. This means minimal deformation between the ribs. Deformation is a major cause of wear and subsequent failure. Wear concentrates opposite the forward edge of widely separated supports as the flow of abrasive materials follows the deformations.
When wear is a major concern, Genesis trailers can be specified with thicker inner skins in the rear four feet where most wear occurs.
In addition to stronger sidewalls, Genesis trailers employ an interlocking system that strengthens the wall-floor connection. Cross-members and floor plates interlock with the rub rail, which in turn forms a pocket to accept the sidewalls. Voids in the sidewalls can be filled with insulation for trailers that haul hot asphalt.
Genesis transfer trailers that haul refuse have added payload capacity. The interior width can be increased by 4" over sheet-and-post construction trailers, while the outside dimension remains at 96" or 102". Therefore, a Genesis tipper transfer trailer can haul up to 5.75 cubic yards more legal payload.
East Manufacturing Corp is headquartered in Randolph, Ohio.