In keeping the best interests of its manufacturing partners and their end-users in mind, Civacon recently introduced the ROMLink “Plug-N-Load” overfill detection system. Since its introduction, this new product has been gaining momentum from the industry's top OEMs, including Heil Trailer International, Athens TN, manufacturer of petroleum tankers and specialty trailers.
Heil began installing the new ROMLink on its newly built and retrofitted trailers earlier this year. To date, Heil has more than 100 trailers on the road benefiting from the standard-setting design and operation of the ROMLink system.
“From a manufacturing standpoint, we see the ROMLink as a major improvement in overfill detection system technology,” said Robert Lane, director of product management for Heil Trailer International. “This is a major, long-term step forward for improving the reliability and profitability of the trailer. When we put the ROMLink on a trailer, the product on the road is improved.”
The ROMLink is designed to replace the process of troubleshooting and repairing connections on traditional overfill-detection electronics. Until now, overfill-detection systems on tank trailers relied on a wiring system that was susceptible to corrosion and loose connections, occurrences that knocked a truck out of service for hours while the cause of the problem was being located and repaired.
These repairs could consist of as many as 80 wires that would need to be cut and stripped with 36 new connections made. If one of the cuts or connections turned out to be bad, the mechanic would have to go back through the entire system to find out where the loose or corroded connections were. Costs in these situations could range between $300 and $1,500 just for the wiring repairs, with truck idle time on top of that.
“When we do a retrofit on a trailer, the customer can't believe how easy it is,” said Ron Jurek, product manager, Liquid Products for Heil Trailer International. “It takes less than an hour, whereas in the past they would spend a full day to take off an old, malfunctioning overfill detection system and put on a new one.”
Overall, Lane and Jurek are convinced that the ROMLink will be a boon to their customers' operations for many years to come. In other words, as a trailer manufacturer and supplier that produces products that aim to guarantee less maintenance time and lower life-cycle costs while improving operations, the ROMLink falls right into Heil's sweet spot.
Lane said, “At Heil, we're always customer-focused and strive to provide the latest technologies available that will not only provide the safest trailers on the road, but also equipment that is cost-effective and profitable. A recent example of this was in 2006, when Heil was the first manufacturer in the industry to standardize on roll stability, adding to the overall safety for the operators. Today, the ROMLink overfill detection system is the latest example of how Heil is providing our customers with the latest technology available and adding to the overall profitability of each trailer.”
For more information on Civacon products, call (888) 526-5657, visit www.civacon.com, or e-mail [email protected].