On Friday, December 18, 2020, Jürg Geiser delivered two eTrolleys to the city of Winterthur. For the cleaning in the old town and the emptying of the public waste and dog waste bins, tried and tested "hand trolleys" have been used for decades. In order to reduce the physical strain on the employees, KYBURZ delivers the "hand trolley" of the 21st century: an eTrolley with a tiltable body.

A test phase had to be postponed several times because of Corona until it finally worked in late spring. Right from the start, the "street cleaners" found the eTrolley appealing and practical. It is simple and intuitive to use. Since the development department did not have the capacity to create an offer construction, Jürg created a drawing for the construction. In collaboration with Ivan Schickli, construction drawings were created and Benno Schlatter manufactured the superstructure. Jürg and the Team ePedelec then took over the assembly of the eTrolley (based on the eTrolley Finnish Post).

Now the eTrolleys will hit the streets and pedestrian zones of Winterthur. There will probably still be some improvements to be made before KYBURZ can offer this new municipal vehicle to other public works departments. In any case, the employees of the Winterthur Civil Engineering Office were delighted to receive it at the depot.

18.12.2020, JGE

The CALB battery with a capacity of 240 Ah is the power source of the DXP 5 and was delivered with these vehicles in thousands to the Swiss and Australian Post. KYBURZ has installed batteries from the supplier CALB with capacities from 20 to 240 Ah over the years. Several KYBURZ employees have already visited CALB (China Aviation Lithium Battery Co., Ltd.) in Henan, China, and reported great cleanliness, a high degree of process automation, and high-quality standards.

LiFePO4 stands for the chemistry of the cell. Lithium iron phosphate makes up about 31% of the battery weight. Graphite, copper, and aluminum are the other key ingredients for this battery, which is characterized by the fact that it is more sustainable (e.g. contains no cobalt) than comparable battery types. Other important strengths of this chemistry are longevity, or a high number of cycles, and safety. This battery type does not easily burn.

For purchasing and production planning, batteries from China are a challenge, as they have to be ordered five to six months in advance. Ready-made blocks with several cells are delivered. Packed in wooden or cardboard crates, they are delivered by sea in a container in batches of 400 to 580 blocks.

Our 240 Ah cells were originally developed for an order to be installed in electric buses. Since this order was canceled, CALB stopped producing this type of battery cells and KYBURZ also had to look for a new supplier. Service workers will continue to encounter CALB batteries in KYBURZ vehicles for years to come, thanks to their reliability and durability.

18.12.2020, DH

Our autonomous PLUS II "Nina" has received a new steering motor and a new steering clutch. Under the expert hands of Martin Mathis and Oliver Zimmermann, the old steering unit was replaced by the new one. This change was necessary because the old unit could not provide enough power to steer the wheels in all situations. The challenge of this conversion was that the steering unit sits in the middle of the vehicle and is surrounded on all sides by other components, some of which are very sensitive.

What we have now is a 1.2 kW motor with a 51 ratio (orange in the CAD screenshot) and a magnetic gear coupling with a rated transmission torque of 400 Nm (blue in the CAD screenshot). The power from the motor is transmitted by the chain to the bell crank from the PLUS steering system.

The clutch is necessary to disconnect the motor from the steering train when the PLUS is steered by a driver.

Our Nina is now ready to go again for the next tests in the new year!

12/18/2020, OLZ

Good to know:

Magnetic tooth clutch
A magnetic tooth clutch is used to open and close a power connection. The advantage of this type of coupling is that it can be actuated with an electrical signal.

Our KYBURZ DXP has made it onto the advertising poster for the theater "Ab die Post", which is being shown at the Theater am Hechtplatz.

The theater is about two veteran postmen who have been working together at the same post office for over 30 years. But now, a few years before they retire, they are threatened with losing their jobs for life because the post office is not generating enough revenue.
What the two are now doing to increase sales and save their jobs can be seen at the Theater am Hechtplatz in Zurich from the end of January 2021.

21.12.2020, JAG

How about playing a board or card game with your family? Or read a story to your grandchildren via Facetime. Check-in with your parents/siblings via text message to see how they are doing!
These weekly health tips are designed to help you stay mentally healthy.

DEC. 8, 2020, SL

Here you can find the tips from the "Mental Health Network Switzerland":

A KYBURZ DXP does not fit under the Christmas tree. But a 1:18 scale model does! And a model trailer also belongs to it.

For about four years, the model has been available in a limited series of 1051 pieces. Many are already gone, but for a last-minute Christmas gift there is still enough stock, and the trip to the mall is also eliminated. For the price of CHF 59.70 (incl. VAT), you can bring joy to many a child and adult.

Did you know? Carmen and Philipp were the models for the design of the model figures. They are also depicted in real life on the packaging.

Contact Matthias Röthlin. He will organize that you can buy your model before Christmas.

18.12.2020, DH

Finally, after more than half a year at Industriestrasse without a snack/lunch place, the development team has received a new kitchen. Now the team can spend their breaks together again - in the meantime, the team had to find shelter in other departments. We wish the department a lot of joy with the new kitchen :-)

04.12.2020, JAG