On 1 September 2021 the R58-03 regulation for Rear Underrun Protection came into effect, increasing admissible stresses to RUPs by 80% in the event of a crash. It’s a standard that Marrel has taken as an opportunity to improve its product range by completely redesigning the RUP range with a series of important innovations, as Dominique Durand, one of Marrel’s product managers, tells us in this interview.
The new Rear Underrun Protection (RUP) range. How and why was this new product range created?
The RUP is a complementary accessory to the Ampliroll® Hooklifts and Skiploaders. Available for many years, like other products it has benefitted from continuous innovations, while adapting to regulations in place. The R58-03 standard came into effect in European territory on 1 September 2021. This standard increases admissible stresses to RUPs by 80% in the event of a crash.
Rather than adapting our existing RUPs, we have chosen to make the introduction of this standard an opportunity to improve our product. We have thus completely redesigned the RUP range, simplifying its assembly for the bodybuilder, improving its durability for the end-user and introducing new models.
The creation of this new range involved teamwork between you, the engineers and the R&D centre. What is the innovative value of this range?
The head office and the Marrel factory are on the same site: it is a great opportunity for us because it allows us to be present at each stage of the creation of a product: design, building the prototype, tests, industrialisation, and mass production.
All the teams concerned are thus present to discuss and adjust the process when necessary, whether in our specific RUP test centre, or in the unit created especially for manufacturing in our factory.
Thanks to shared knowledge and Marrel’s sense of innovation, we are able to offer four types of rear underrun protections, all approved- telescopic, fixed, Panto and inclined, in a ready-to-install kit. The RUPs are assembled and painted in our factory, saving time during assembly for our dealer partners. The set-up is done quickly: the Inclined RUP with offset bar from Marrel is assembled in 4 hours compared to the 10 hours of assembly + 2 hours of painting offered by our competitors.
The new model in the range is the Inclined RUP which also benefits from a patented sprocket orientation system, allowing its inclination to be adjusted without drilling or welding. It is therefore very quick to install while guaranteeing easy adaptation to the specificities of each assembly.
From where do you get Marrel’s expertise?
The spirit of innovation is part of Marrel’s DNA; since its creation in 1919, the company has invented products that are now available all over the world, such as the Ampliroll® hooklift, the Skiploader and the Tipper Scissors. Our teams are continually working on technical innovations to improve the daily lives of users of our products and accessories. Feedback from the field by our Fassi Group distribution partners allows us to be attentive to market needs in order to offer them products that meet them, such as the ready-to-install RUP kits.
What advantages do these innovations bring to users of Marrel products?
In addition to the savings in assembly time enjoyed by the bodybuilder, the end user is not left out. In response to the new regulations, Marrel has increased the mechanical resistance of its RUPs, allowing them to withstand a force of 18T. The use of RUPs has also been simplified thanks to a rapid deployment system that is easy to implement, guaranteeing a high level of safety during operation.
