As Managing Director Bernhard Brüggen explains, production output will be doubled to over 25,000 units in the next one and a half years. "We have already laid the foundation for this production offensive with the introduction of automatic component production in Herzlake. Our swap body systems and Dry Liners stand for high product quality combined with numerous innovative load securing solutions and are therefore in high demand on the market, as evidenced, for example, by our market share of around 70 % for swap bodies. In addition, there is a significant increase in demand, which is also generated by the booming online trade," Brüggen continued.
In addition to the massive increase in production, this is also associated with an investment offensive. As part of the extensive automation implementation and the associated robot production systems, the entire product range is being revised. This is particularly important in order not only to further increase quality, but also to further increase customer benefits.
About Krone Location Herzlake
At the Herzlake site, Krone manufactures steel swap bodies, curtain swap bodies, box semi-trailers and CEP vehicles for courier and express journeys. All customer wishes are taken into account in the vehicle equipment. The range of swap boxes includes beaded or smooth side walls as well as plywood and carbofont-versions or cases open on one side. Variety is also the order of the day when it comes to the design of the cases: from telescopic support legs to double-deck equipment to roller shutters and much more, the choice is almost unlimited. The curtain boxes, which are available in different lengths and storage heights as well as with different roof and wall systems, are also flexible and practical.
In Herzlake the dry freight box Dry Liner is also built, which can be used for the transport of high-quality and moisture-sensitive goods. The Dry Liner is available with side walls made of steel, plywood or carbofont; various equipment modules can also be selected for the interior.
A decisive quality argument for production is also the coating system with KTL-plus powder coating. Cathodic dip painting (KTL) is a dip coating which is applied electrolytically to the metal body and baked at approx. 200 °C. The coating is then applied to the metal body. This achieves incomparable corrosion protection. Characteristics of the KTL-plus powder vehicles are brilliant shine, highest stone impact resistance, reliable protection against rust and thus the best possible preservation of value. At the Herzlake production facility, steel structures up to 16 m long, 3.2 m high and 2.6 m wide can be coated in one piece. The total area of the plant in Herzlake covers around 352,000 sqm.