Enabling the smooth transportation of Elephants using a Truck Mounted Ramp
Challenges
- One of India’s leading animal welfare boards wanted to make a truck to ferry a full-grown elephant along with its calf safely across long distances
- The truck should be capable of loading & unloading the elephant & its calf safely with easy controls for operating smoothly
- The solution has to be portable in a way that it can be fitted onto the trailer body
- It should be sturdy enough to take the load of the elephant
Solution
- We selected the vehicle – a 28T GVW Eicher vehicle with adequate carrying capacity for Mahout Cabin, Water Tanks and carrying 2 elephants
- The Axle configurations and ROH were also chosen appropriately for safe climbing of the elephant onto the truck
- We specially designed a robust ramp of 6 Ton capacity and 3 folds using advanced hydraulic systems that we designed, manufactured and installed in-house at the Nandan factory
- The ramp operates on a single button to open itself and slide out in stages to deploy on the ground surface
- The self-supporting legs give it additional support and the rough surface avoids animals from slipping while climbing
- The gradient is moderate to allow an elephant to climb easily
- The ramp also serves as the rear door of the truck in a closed position.
Results
- Easy operations possible making it easier for the operator to control the ramp & reduce the need for multiple handlers.
- Special focus on safety of the Elephant for climbing the truck was aided by a the moderate gradient provided for easy access
- Robust & Reliable design for a long lasting & efficient life cycle of the product.
