On Monday 5th December, 
the NFU attended a trailer brake testing demonstration at the CNH Manufacturing Plant in Basildon, Essex. The event was run for representatives of Danish agricultural machinery dealers, farmers and contractors by BAGMA, the British Agricultural and Garden Machinery Association.
The morning session focussed around a discussion of the braking issues with agricultural trailers in the UK and Denmark. Attendees were told that recent studies in the UK have found that due to poor brake design and lack of effective maintenance, many trailers are falling to meet current braking requirements.
Many of these failures were corrected with simple and inexpensive maintenance, but without which the brakes on both the trailer and the tractor can continue to deteriorate. This is particularly a concern for the latter, as a strip-down and repair of the brakes on a tractor can cost several thousand pounds.
BAGMA then showcased their Brake Safe brake performance testing equipment with a practical demonstration. The equipment uses a decelerometer and calculations to determine braking efficiency. The equipment can be used to test hydraulic trailer braking, air/pneumatic trailer braking, tractor only braking and tractor and trailer combined braking.
The day and demonstration in particular provided an insight into how machinery manufacturers, dealers and farmers can improve the safety of their agricultural equipment by buying the correct specification in the first instance and ensuring appropriate maintenance.
No comments have been made.