HTrack

IceStriker

SprayStriker

The HTrack tracking system uses HillTip’s easy-to-use StrikeSmart controller, which is placed in the cab and connects to IceStriker and SprayStriker products. Through the industry’s only two-way GPRS transmission, users can have remote control over an entire fleet of equipment, create geofenced work sites for client areas with custom application rates and track route data including speed, GPS location, and material used.

HTrack also assists with route optimizations and resource allocations for increased efficiency and profitability. It can create reports of material used for each customer and provide detailed documentation of ice control activities at individual customer locations. Thanks to this unmatched level of automation, drivers can concentrate solely on completing jobs as quickly and safely as possible.

“We’re proud to include some of the most advanced tracking and management tools available on our base model equipment,” said Hilltip’s Sales & Marketing Director Frank Mäenpää. “This level of technology is typically reserved for municipal-grade machines, but we believe it will greatly benefit day-to-day operations for all winter professionals. When customers buy Hilltip, they expect the best. We intend to meet and exceed those expectations at every turn.”

Headquartered in Pietarsaari, Finland, Hilltip is a leading manufacturer of road maintenance equipment in Europe. With equipment designed and built in an area that averages at least six months of snowfall every year, Hilltip is known for its extreme durability and advanced technologies.

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Under what conditions and with what risks in terms of material compatibility can disinfectants be used in our Spraystriker or Icestriker?

Normally our Spraystikers & Icestrikers are filled with salt brine solutions or water but right now many of them are spreading disinfections. In addition to their day-to-day business, our colleagues in charge had to deal with a large number of queries in the past few days concerning the material compatibility of a wide range of disinfectants. There are no official recommendations, so each authority decides independently whether and, if so, which substances will be used for their disinfecting areas.

Which substances can be used in Hilltip Spraystriker & Icestriker?

Most of our customers are using virucides or chlorine. Anyhow, when doing a closer examination of the material you quickly realises that at most the names are similar, but hardly any products are comparable with each other. We have realised that recommendations regarding material compatibility can only be made if the exact composition is known.

We are seeing pattern in the composition of the demanded active ingredients. We have divided the six most common active ingredients into three risk levels. The risk refers to possible damage to components as membranes or sealing rings.

Very low risk

• Alcohols
• Quaternary ammonium compounds

Low risk

• Aldehydes
• Amphoteric surfactants

Increased risk

• Active oxygen hydrogen peroxide (bleach)
• Active chlorine (sodium hypochlorite)

Basically all the mentioned components can be used, depending on the level of concentration. The tanks must be completely and sufficiently rinsed with fresh water after each operation, at the latest in the end of the day. In addition, virucides and biocides may require further action or precaution according the advise or regulation of the disinfectant manufacturer.

If you plan to use disinfectant in a Hilltip machine, please approach your contact person at Hilltip. We will be pleased to provide you with advice and support with regard to material compatibility and protect you from unpleasant surprises after use.

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For Immediate Release;

Pietarsaari, Finland (February 26, 2020) – Hilltip Corp. of Pietarsaari, Finland is launching a line of poly and stainless steel salt spreaders at the Work Truck Show 2020 through their North American subsidiary Hilltip Corp. The company officially began operations in the United States on January 1, 2020.

Hilltip Corp. of Finland is a leading manufacturer of snow and ice control equipment in Europe. Their products include salt spreaders, snow plows, brooms, sprayers and brine mixers. The company’s focus initially in the North American market will be in the light duty spreader segment, with an emphasis on poly machines with patented hopper body features. Hilltip manufacturers some of the most technologically advanced spreaders on the market. Featuring their patent pending Strikesmart controllers and HTrack tracking system. Learn more at https://www.hilltipna.com/en/products/htrack/.  In the application segment, the HTrack system is the industry’s only 2-way GPRS capable tracking software that allows communication between the controller and a phone, computer or tablet providing data in real time to their customers.

The Work Truck Show 2020 marks the company’s official launch in North America and their first ever appearance in the show. Currently, Hilltip Corp. has two North American stocking distributors but are looking to expand their footprint with their participation in this year’s show. Attendees to the show are invited to see a sampling of Hilltip Corp.’s product offering in display area Wabash01 in the Wabash Hallway between JW Marriott and Indy Marriott.

Hilltip North American website: www.hilltipna.com

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Hilltip’s production facility ( 5500 m² ) in Pietarsaari, on the west coast of Finland, manufactures snow plows, sweepers, salt and sand spreaders. Our products are distributed across Europe via a wide network of partners. Hilltip is the leading supplier of snow clearing and ice control equipment for pick-ups and light commercial vehicles weighing up to 7,5-tons.

The new trailer spreader models extend the capability of spreaders to meet our customer’s needs. Users have the flexibility to drive any pickup, SUV or car to combat icy conditions. “We are constantly finding new practical solutions for our customers” says Frank Mäenpää, Sales Manager & Co-founder.

The new addition of the IceStriker 1600, 2100 and 2600 spreader range that was introduced for trucks weighing between 3.5-10 tons in 2018, is now available as towable salt spreader for sizes 1600-2100L as well as the smaller combi spreaders 550, 750, 850 and 1100L. The 2100L spreader is the largest towable electric combi polyethylene spreader on the market. The electric spreader with a 12V / 24V control system holds up to 2100 litres of salt or sand. The salt spreader contains all the popular features of the well-known, smaller IceStriker models. The polyethylene hopper spreader is double walled and forms an integrated tank that can hold up to 900 litres of brine solution that can be used with one of the optional liquid de-icing systems. Using brine solution is an environmentally-friendly and cost saving de-icing method to traditional salt spreading. The Hilltip tow behind spreaders can all be supplemented with a pre-wet system as well as a spray bar for direct liquid de-icing treatment.

Due to the harsh conditions, we decided to both hot galvanize and powder paint the trailer chassis to ensure the best corrosion resistance on the market, “Well done is better than well said”- Benjamin Franklin-

The smallest salt spreader from Hilltip’s new towable spreader range is the IceStriker 380 . The stainless steel spreader is available with capacity of 380L solid material and 150L liquid with optional tanks installed. The spreader is mounted on a single axel trailer without brakes.

The 12V Spraystriker sprayer series is also adaptable to the single axel trailer ( 500L ) and dual axel trailer (1000-2000L models). The liquid de-icing trailer is the most efficient electric liquid sprayer on the market with the capability of spreading 20 ml / m2 with the speed of 25 km / h and spreading width 2 m. The maximum spreading width is 5 m, by the optional spraybar end nozzles.

The post Electric trailer salt spreaders appeared first on Hilltip.

In May 2018, The Highways Magazine (https://www.highwaysmagazine.co.uk/)  wrote a case study-article about the use of Hilltip SprayStriker on cykleways and footpaths. 

Safe cycling all year round

Peacock Salt’s Paddy Hastie, a member of the National Winter Service Research Group‘s (NWSRG) technical advisory group, gives a detailed case study on ice control for cycle paths.

A large network of cycleways, footways and footpaths has been developed across the country alongside new and existing road infrastructure and it is important that the risks to users of this network are appropriately considered by those responsible for maintaining the infrastructure throughout the year. It is for this reason that the NWSRG’s new guidance will devote a whole chapter to this important part of our national infrastructure. So, how does one go about providing a winter service on large lengths of cycleways and footpaths that can be difficult to access via conventional winter maintenance vehicles?

This is a challenge that Amey was presented with ahead of the winter 2017/18 season. In 2017 all new roads that were part of the Transport Scotland commissioned M8, M73, M74 Motorway Improvements Project opened. As operation and maintenance contractor for the project, Amey, on behalf of Scottish Roads Partnership, has a maintenance responsibility for over 20km of 3-6-metre wide footpaths and access tracks adjacent to the A8/M8 between Baillieston and Eurocentral and the A725/M74 around Raith Interchange.

The typical Scottish winter presented challenges to the team. Many of the pathways have infrequent use. Traffic helps the activation of traditional granular de-icers. For all areas of footpaths the use of sodium chloride brine was stipulated. After analysing the routes, the decision was made to also treat some of the low trafficked access tracks with brine at the recommended application rate of 30ml/m² as the de-icing properties of brine activate more quickly than granular de-icers and without the same requirement for frequent traffic of the pathways.

Various criteria are utilised to trigger winter treatment, typically a predicted minimum road surface temperature of PS1.0 (+1°C) or below, or a forecast winter hazard, and sometimes it is necessary to mobilise and undertake action at short notice. With constant pressure on resources, and the planned future handover of some of these paths to adjacent local authorities, utilising existing vehicles available for the contract was a desired approach.

In line with the requirements for other de-icing vehicles, there was also a desire to ensure that sufficient data was recorded to evidence the treatments being carried out and that reports would be available documenting such treatments. Although this is not generally a problem for the larger carriageway gritting vehicles that are equipped with vehiclemounted data loggers, much of the traditional spraying technology for footpaths and cycleways is basic and largely based around equipment originally designed for agricultural use; it typically has minimal data logging ability and no tracking facility.

Amey’s existing M8, M73, M74 project fleet has two Mistubushi L200 pickup trucks available for use during the winter season. Peacock Salt, an NWSRG member, demonstrated the Hilltip SprayStriker to Amey.

Hilltip is a winter service equipment manufacturer based in Finland and the SprayStriker is a liquid sprayer which can be quickly mounted and de-mounted to a vehicle once the connections have been built onto the vehicle. Due to weight restrictions of the pickup trucks, a 500-litre capacity was required. The Hilltip technology seemed a perfect fit for their needs. No equipment is ever one-size-fits-all and the team optimised the SprayStriker unit for their needs.

The SprayStriker pump system has been calibrated to optimise it for the specific liquid density of the brine, produced in an on-site saturator. A 12-metre hose reel and nozzle was installed, which enabled harder to reach areas to be treated without the need to overmanoeuvre the vehicle. Manual sprayers were also supplied by Peacock Salt for areas such as footbridges requiring less corrosive de-icers.

The unit uses a GPS antenna to determine ground speed and can control unit pumps as appropriate. The winter service operative sets an application rate in ml/m² and then has the assurance that the set spray rate is met, regardless of vehicle speed. In use, operatives also found that using the ‘automatic’ setting mitigated the risk of spraying other path users, and that all they had to do was stop the vehicle and resume treatment when the pedestrian or cyclist has passed. The GPS antenna alerts the pumps when the vehicle has stopped so the treatment programme is paused until the vehicle moves again.

Hilltip also created a service called HTrack, which allows their salt spreaders and ploughs to be tracked and the data sent to a server. Users log on and can extract reports on salt usage, treated locations, spread width and application rate. It provides evidence of treatment to end-users in order to assist them in demonstrating that their duty of care has been met. With a few software changes, HTrack was updated to enable liquid de-icer tracking. The HTrack tracking functionality gives the management team the required timestamped data in an easy to understand format, clearly stating application rates, when the vehicle is spraying or travelling, spray widths and treatment volume.

The post Article in the Highways Magazine appeared first on Hilltip.

Tracking of snow and ice removal equipment for pickups and light trucks

The new Hilltip HTrack system is compatible with all HillTip snow plows, spreaders and de-icing sprayers, models of IceStriker, SprayStriker and SnowStriker. With HTrack tracking software you can track all of your spreading devices and snowplows online on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

– This has been a strategic investment, as our mission in the industry is to bring new cost effective technology to the contractors for salt spreaders and snow plows, in pick-ups and light trucks segment, says Sales Manager Frank Mäenpää. – We are the first snowplow and spreader supplier on the market today that offers a complete tracking system for snowplows and salt spreaders in the pick-up and light truck segment.

Frank also reminds that the obligations of proving the de-icing jobs are done are same for smaller spreading devices and high-way spreaders. – For some reason this is often forgotten in the industry, and we want to change that.

The HillTip HTrack collects exact spreading rate on site from the spreader in g/m2 or ml/m2, spreading width, spreading speed, time spent, total amount spread on route as well as empty driving information to calculate the efficiency on route. Together with the spreader device you can also track when the snow plow has been on the ground. All data is sent online to the HTrack system, where the data is stored and can easily be summarized into daily, weekly or yearly reports. The spreaders and snow plows can easily be accessed online on your computer, tablet or smartphone.

Hilltip has developed the tracking system inhouse. This means that support for and customized integration with existing softwares used on the Hi-way sector or municipalities can be easily done if needed.

– The HillTip IceStriker sand and salt spreaders were introduced on the market 2013. We are very pleased to inform that all IceStriker spreaders are compatible with the new HTrack system.

– The journey has been exciting, says Managing director Tom Mäenpää, summarizing the time since first Icestriker spreader was launched, and he promises that there is more to come.

Go to HTrack product page

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Product Innovation For 2016 – OBD linkage cable for Hilltip IceStriker and SprayStriker

• OBD linkage ensures IMMEDIATE reaction and is road speed related, which means no GPS lag time*
• USB cable links to Hilltip Controller and take priority over GPS signal
• Auger speed is calculated based on road speed and is measured and updated 10 times per second
• Connects to any vehicle manufactured after 2004**
• Can be retrofitted to all Hilltip IceStrikers and SprayStrikers

* Putting the Icestriker into manual mode when driving off will also prevent any lag time.
** Vehicles that are equipped with OBD II interface

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