This prototype vehicle has been constructed from a honeycomb plastic construction replacing the original rear pick up body. Constructed out of a lightweight material and offering up to a 40% weight saving, this unit was designed to provide a completely standalone facility for demonstrating Thales• most recent chemical testing equipment.
The initial project was to build a prototype on a standard 4×4 vehicle with sufficient capacity to house both the equipment and necessary personnel. WH Bence removed the existing Nissan pick-up construction of the vehicle, and constructed out of the lightweight honeycomb plastic structure a new bespoke equipment storage facility. Not only does this unit house all of the latest equipment but it also has its own power generator system with a 4.8kw diesel generator running from the on-board fuel tank. This provides sufficient power to run all of the on-board equipment and also any additional ancillary equipment required.
Throughout the design the weight distribution and the carrying capacity of the vehicle was critical as the requirement of the customer to be able to carry up to 3 personnel when the vehicle is in use did restrict the weight available for construction. By choosing the Nissan with the highest possible payload once removing the rear pick up section of the vehicle, it allowed us to be able to create this prototype which is currently on tour around the UK and Europe, demonstrating all of the latest equipment.
