Germany / China - HÜBNER GmbH of Kassel, Germany, is testing a newly developed city bus articulation system which is expected to offer a 50% weight saving and a low cost solution for BRT systems and other bus applications in developing countries such as China.
According to the Mr Hübner, chairman of HÜBNER GmbH, production of this new system would be at a new purpose-built 10,000 sq m plant belonging to its wholly owned subsidiary, HÜBNER Interface Systems Co Ltd in Shanghai, China, with production scheduled to start within the next year. Prototypes of the system are first being tested by two strategic un-named partner bus builders in China.
The new low cost articulation system is also expected to be offered in Russia. Five years ago HÜBNER established a subsidiary manufacturing plant for producing the bellows called HÜBNER OOO in Noginsk, Russia, which is located approximately 60 kilometres from Moscow. Robert Koch, product development for HÜBNER, stated that the plant would be closed for two months during April and May, having worked a limited number of days during March to supply 15 systems ordered for Moscow from Alfa Bus and for trolley buses made by Liaz.
2008 had been a strong year fro HÜBNER in Russia having delivered some 1,400 units to Mercedes-Benz. This year however it was likely that it would only produce around 40 units for the Russian market.
The HÜBNER Group now completely specialises on articulation systems for city buses and trains. It has facilities in Germany, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Hungary, Brazil, USA, china and France. In June last year HÜBNER sold its bus door business to the Door Systems Group of Beverly, UK. HÜBNER stated at the time that it had decided to exit the bus door industry as it did not believe that it could achieve the critical mass necessary to make the division profitable: HÜBNER supplied doors to many European companies including Solaris, MAN, Heuliez and VDL from its European manufacturing base in Kassel. DSG has now moved the manufacturing operation to its Deans manufacturing base in Beverly, UK. Spare parts, service and support are offered by its Germany subsidiary, Deans Kiekert in Velbert, Germany. DSG incorporates the companies of DSG Deans, DSG Peters and DSG Kiekert. HÜBNER is now focussed on its articulated systems for all sectors, having sold its rail vehicle door division.
