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Following on from the SL range, the SLX responds to customer needs for maximum performance, minimal environmental impact and low cost of ownership.
Bill Roxby, marketing manager for the new range, said: “We are confident that no other diesel driven system matches the reliability and fuel economy of the new range” It is simply the most advanced product of its kind in the market today.”
Refrigeration components relating to performance have been significantly upsized which means that engine operating speeds have been reduced with no loss in performance. “Slower engine speeds give a quieter engine which uses less fuel, and prolong the life of moving parts to increase reliability”, SID Roxby.
Development of the unit took four years and to ensure SLX dependability, Thermo King designed a rigorous testing programme including years of non-stop endurance runs, customer field trials and accelerated life testing. The units were run at temperatures ranging from 50°C to -35°C, and were exposed to dust, salt, shock and vibration. Thermo King is so confident in its reliability that it is providing a 24 month factory warranty with each unit.
At the research stage customers highlighted difficulties in training drivers to use equipment correctly. For this reason Thermo King equipped each model of the SLX range with its Smart Reefer 2 (SR-2) controller. This foolproof system integrates CargoWatch, a high performance data logger enabling full European compliancy.
Minimising fuel consumption was a key concern of the design team who carefully assessed where savings would be made without compromising performance. According to the company, their work has delivered a phenomenal 20% reduction over the SL range, which itself is recognised as the benchmark in fuel economy.