For Andre Howe, one of the main winners of the "HELLA pimps your truck" campaign, taking part in the competition was definitely worth his while: as the main prize winner, he was lucky enough to have new lighting equipment fitted on his "working partner", an all-singing timber lorry with loading crane.
Here, you can see which HELLA products the truck was equipped with during "Operation Upgrade", and how these ensure that Andre will be able to illuminate his working environment in the forest with light as bright as day!
We held a discussion before the project to determine the requirements for the new HELLA lighting because, as you well know, each field has its own challenges. This is especially true for "night shifts" in the forestry industry.
The following main requirements emerged:
•A significantly broader illumination of the area, especially because the crane covers a large 360° working area
•Better long-range illumination to optimise long-range visibility in the field and support the vehicle's "all-terrain mobility"
•Improved safety thanks to significantly better visibility, achieved with brighter illumination of the entire work area
No sooner said than done. Once we drafted up the "performance specification", it was time to set the upgrade into action. The first challenge was looking for a suitable garage, because a large timber lorry with crane takes up a great deal of space. The upgrade was not carried out in the forest, but in the workshop facilities of Hermann Siekmann GmbH & Co. KG in Brilon in the Sauerland region of Germany. The facilities of the MAN and Scania lorry truck specialist provided the ideal conditions for professional installation.
Firstly, the truck itself was "pimped" with powerful, energy-efficient HELLA LED lighting. The products speak for themselves:
HELLA Lightbar 350: Thanks to their lightweight design, the light strips were mounted in pairs on the front of the driver's cab and not only provide a much better view off-road, but also in road traffic.
HELLA Q90 compact LED:The compact and powerful work lamp is ideal for tight installation spaces (in the boarding area in this context) and provides better ambient lighting on both sides in the front shunting area.
HELLA Power Beam 1800 compact with wide-field illumination: These work lamps had additional protective housings made especially for the terrain conditions and were mounted on both sides in the upper area of the tail lift. This achieves a wide ambient illumination, which perfectly reaches the working crane area.
HELLA Power Beam 1800 compact with close-range illumination: The powerful work lamp illuminates the rear lateral shunting area on both sides, therefore helping with shunting operations in difficult terrain and on steep roads, even on the trailer.
HELLA Power Beam 1000 compact: The two compact work lamps, each with six high-power LEDs, were mounted on the rear of the truck in the reverse lamp version, and significantly improve visibility in the rear working area compared to standard rear lamps. The same applies to the trailer.
Our attention then turned to one of the core elements of forestry work: the loading crane. The following products were installed:
HELLA Ultra Beam II: A powerful double with 4,000 measured lumens each and highly efficient LED technology provides ideal illumination. It's positioned in the central gripper arm area and provides exceptional support for the crane operator while they work. Therefore, even in adverse weather conditions, the ideal "lighting power" for working with the gripper arm is achieved.
Two more of the HELLA Power Beam 1800 compact with close-range illumination were mounted at the top of the swivelling loading crane seat area, improving the crane driver's direct close-range field of vision. The illumination of the two Ultra Beam II is expanded seamlessly.
At the rear under the load crane seat, there are two additional "powerhouses" – HELLA Module 70 LED Gen. 3, which, thanks to flexible alignment options, can also be used for illumination specific to the situation around the vehicle's rear axle. This is particularly advantageous, for example, when fitting chains that are not only used in snow but also in deep mud.
As part of the conversion, a couple of side marker lamps on the timber lorry were also replaced with new HELLA products: a working machine with such impressive dimensions also needs to be clearly visible to other road users at all times.
This perfectly coordinated lighting package now turns night into day for Andre during his demanding forestry work, and not only ensures more efficient work, but also greater safety. The brighter illumination also allows greater precision when manoeuvring thanks to improved visibility: a particular benefit for the forest's sensitive nature!
In our interview, you can read about the positive experiences our lucky winner has had with his new lighting so far.
Find out more about HELLA work lamps here