ASTRA will be participating in the 31st edition of SaMoTer, the International Construction Machinery Exhibition dedicated to earth-moving machines, being held in Verona from 3-7 May.
ASTRA will be present at Samoter 2023 with a 300 m2 stand in Hall 7 (stand C10-C11) where the most representative vehicles of the HD9 range, designed for heavy-duty work in the mining, oil&gas, large-scale construction and heavy haulage transport sectors, will be on display. On show will be a complete vehicle range that perfectly reflects ASTRA’s ability to tailor its products to the customer’s needs, providing ad hoc solutions to meet any specific requirement. This is made possible by the experience garnered over more than 75 years in the field and Astra’s constant dedication to its mission. Together with its innovative technologies, this enables it to meet the highest standards of professionalism and guarantee efficient and effective solutions throughout the world.
The vehicles on display will feature all the technical characteristics of the ASTRA range, from the sturdy high-strength steel chassis (530 MPa) made up of two flat, parallel side rails ideal for any type of outfitting, to the driveline designed for the heaviest and most demanding of work. The HD9 vehicles are fitted with FPT Industrial Cursor 13 Euro VI engines up to 570 hp and with maximum torques of up to 2,500 Nm in combination with manual gearboxes or, on request, automated and automatic gearboxes with or without Intarder.
SAMOTER will be the event at which the new edition of the ASTRA Extreme by Nature Demo Tour will be presented: in fact, there will be a demonstration tour with several stops starting from Verona, featuring the HHD9 8×6 model fitted with a 24 m³ Cantoni semirock body and boasting a total ground weight of over 60 tonnes. Powered by a powerful 13-litre engine with an output of 500 hp coupled to an Allison 7-speed fully automatic transmission with integrated retarder, this vehicle is ideal for heavy-duty mining applications. Each component has been designed and developed to withstand the toughest and most demanding off-road use: from the reinforced axles and tandems with load capacities of up to 11 tonnes at the front and up to 40 tonnes at the rear tandem, to the internally reinforced special heavy-duty chassis. Added to this is the unique power ring configuration for the rear tandem, which contributes to the strength of the entire chassis. The HHD9 also features rear axles with a special 2.9-metre-wide track, which provides greater stability when driving and when unloading the rear tipping body.
The second vehicle exhibited by ASTRA, an HD9 84.51 equipped with a CIFA concrete pump model MK32L, is intended specifically for the construction sector. The robustness of the chassis, its linear structure and the stability provided by the vehicle’s low centre of gravity, make the ASTRA the ideal vehicle for typical concrete applications, such as concrete mixers or concrete pumps. The final vehicle on display on the stand will be an HD9 86.57 highly customised for hauling abnormal loads, a niche sector in which ASTRA has more than 20 years’ experience. It is a dual-use tractor in an 8×6 configuration approved for a total combined weight of up to 250 tonnes with outstanding performance in terms of power train and towing capacity. In addition, this vehicle has been tested for towing up to 500 tonnes in pairs. In addition to a 570 hp engine, this vehicle is equipped with an Allison 4700 series fully automatic 7-speed transmission with integrated hydraulic retarder, giving outstanding towing performance. In fact, thanks to the use of a torque converter, the engine and gearbox remain directly linked during gear changes and the power generated by the engine is transmitted without interruption to the wheels, ensuring smooth driving and gear changes as well as precise traction control. Completing the drive train is a high-performance transfer box that enables switching from an 8×4 to an 8×6 configuration and a reinforced drive axle with disc brakes. This vehicle features highly specific and dedicated technical solutions, such as the installation of front and rear tow bars specially designed to meet the demands of towing abnormal loads, and a compact housing located behind the cab that accommodates additional radiators for water and oil for the entire drive train as well as other services that guarantee optimal operation in all the critical weather and terrain conditions in which this type of vehicle normally operates.
