Vale Engineering (York) Ltd, the manufacturer of innovative highway winter maintenance equipment, has achieved European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA) and Conformity of Production (CoP) certification for their TS500HS and TS1200 High Speed Trailer Salt Spreaders.
The approval requirement for new trailers built in a single stage came into affect 29th October 2012, and requires manufacturers to adhere to strict conformity, quality requirements and production management procedures. Without Type Approval, new trailers cannot legally be sold or used on the public highway.
James Wilson, Managing Director of Vale explains: "The TS500HS and TS1200 are high speed salt spreaders designed for use with 4x4 vehicles and other suitably sized towing vehicles, and are believed to be the first in the UK to be granted ECWVTA Type Approval for trailed salt spreaders or salt spreaders mounted on trailer chassis.
"Our hard work and foresight in gaining ECWVTA Type Approval serves as an assurance to Vale customers that our acknowledged quality products are at the forefront of winter maintenance design – conforming as they do, to certified legal use on highways within the UK and Europe."
The Vale TS500HS and TS1200 high speed towed salt spreaders are fitted with a 0.5m³ (TS500HS), and 1.2m³ (TS1200) hopper; catering for approximately 600kg and 1500kg of salt load respectively. Each spreader is capable of spreading wet or dry, brown or white salt, via Vale's unique POZI-FEED Stainless steel auger system. Fitted with high-quality braked axles, each unit features a hydraulic circuit, driven by an on-board electric start engine.
VCA is the designated UK Approval Authority and Technical Service for ECWVTA Type Approval and all automotive European Community (EC) Directives.
Their approval is an assurance that production samples of the Vale TS500HS and TS1200 have met with stringent specified performance standards, whilst their CoP certification guarantees each product produced by Vale is manufactured in accordance to the approved specification.
