A new concept to make the rear shutter doors used on multi-drop commercial vehicles faster, easier and safer to operate in addition to providing security, environmental and financial benefits is being launched in the UK this month.

Centadrive is an electronic unit activated by a remote control key fob which controls the up and down movement of shutter doors. The unit is fitted into the roof space of the rear cargo area of the vehicle and is powered directly by the vehicle’s 24 volt battery. It can be fitted to any existing dry freight shutter doors or can be used with a new lightweight composite door to maximise performance and make the vehicle lighter to operate and more fuel efficient.

Centadrive enables the driver to use the key fob to remotely open and close the door in seconds saving valuable time on each delivery. Extensive testing of the Centadrive system has shown that the average drop of a multi-drop vehicle is reduced from six minutes to 4 minutes, leading to an average of three extra deliveries a day and increasing productivity overall by around ten per cent.

The system also reduces the risk of driver injury while operating the doors as drivers no longer have to manually close them. In addition, vehicle security is enhanced as drivers can quickly close the back of the vehicles and are less likely to take a risk on leaving doors open. Other benefits include a reduction in noise levels which is key when working out of hours and better access to restricted areas as the up and down movement of the shutter doors needs far less room for the driver to unload than traditional barn door designs.

Developed by Albert Jagger Limited, Centadrive is the result of extensive research and development with intensive long term trials with a number of leading transport companies.

Albert Jagger Limited’s managing director; Garth Cooper explains the technology behind his pioneering product:

“The secret to Centadrive's innovation stems from the Electronic Control System (the ECS) which is encased within a small box attached to the Centadrive Unit. A click of the remote key fob sends a digital signal to the ECS which then controls the power to a combined motor and gearbox. This drives a continuous toothed drive-belt, which is housed within a low profile aluminium track. A shuttle mechanism attached to the drive belt controls the shutter door and ensures a smooth and quiet operation.

“While Centadrive can be used with any dry freight shutter door, for ultimate performance it can be used with one of our new lightweight composite doors designed specifically for us by Wihag, a major European manufacturer and supplier of commercial vehicle doors. At only 19 kg instead of 44 kg for traditional wooden doors, there are significant fuel consumption reductions and increased payloads. The special honeycomb construction also means the doors are robust and long lasting while the blend of polyurethane and fibre glass means they are 100% recyclable.

“Safety is also at the heart of our Centradrive design. A range of safety features include an in-cab alarm to warn drivers if the rear delivery door has not been closed and a sensor that stops the door closing if something, such as the driver’s hand, becomes trapped.

“We were very keen that the fitting of Centadrive should be as quick and straight forward as possible so it has been closely scrutinised by a number of reputable bodybuilders to help identify a streamlined installation process in order to improve productivity and workflow. Installation couldn't be easier as it can take two experience fitters as little as two hours to fit thus minimising installation costs with the added flexibility of integrating Centadrive into new or existing fleets. Buying into faster, safer and more secure deliveries couldn't be easier.

“We are also very proud that the Centadrive mechanism is a 100% British invention and manufactured in the UK. I It has been patented in the UK by Albert Jagger Limited and the Worldwide patent is pending”.

Centadrive was trialled by Aspray Transport for 12 months before being launched onto the market. Aspray, a leading nationwide next day delivery service found the system particularly effective for its London deliveries. Ian Barclay, operations director at Aspray believes that the company has been able to increase deliveries by around 10% in inner city areas where the system was used. He comments:

“We were able to increase the number of deliveries in London by such a significant amount because the whole process of parking and door manoeuvring was so much easier. We believe that these improvements have reduced a typical drop off time from six minutes to four minutes leading to around three extra deliveries per day per driver.

“We also found that the drivers loved the ease of use of the doors compared to operating heavy barn doors and the fact they no longer posed a risk by flying open in the wind and potentially injuring passers-by. They were also far less likely to leave the door open while they rushed in to deliver a load which inevitably happened before.

“The weight issue is particularly relevant for us as we had recently installed A S Tronic gear boxes which while taking away some of the physical pressure for the driver added to the weight of the load. As the new composite doors supplied by Albert Jagger Limited weigh 19 kgs compared to an average weight of 44 kgs for the wooden doors, this more than compensated in our payload capacity.

“We have been so impressed with the positive impact of Centadrive that we have just placed an order for 26 units.”