The MESP3020
Featured in Muncie Power Quarterly, Issue 1, 2018
The Snow & Ice Division of Muncie Power Products operates at the cutting edge of technology and innovation as changes in the market, demand changes in product.
As a result, our snow and ice solutions range from the tried and true, manually controlled central hydraulic systems to state-of-the-art, electronically controlled cartridge valve solutions with data logging, Wi-Fi connectivity for real-time diagnostic support and GPS/ AVL mapping options.
To meet the changing marketplace, we have increased our options for Class 3, 4 and 5 work trucks. This article covers one of these options, and its versions, available for these popular truck sizes used by municipal, university and landscaping fleets.
Popular on these sizes of
work trucks, articulated plows
usually come with their own
DC power source and controls.
So, what we did is bundle the
hoist and spreader controls into
a turnkey solution. This turnkey
solution being the Muncie
Electronic Spreader Package,
specifically the MESP3020 and
its versions – the MESP3020F
and MESP3020G – which provide ground-speed control and both
hoist and spreader control for
drop-in and tailgate spreaders
respectively.
An Electronic Spreader Package, the MESP3020
The MESP3020’s background menu has seven adjustable parameters including spinner minimum and maximum, auger minimum and maximum, retain settings and spinner blast and spinner pause. Combined, these features conserve salt usage without compromising effectiveness. Our MESP3020 is easy to install and plumb. Since all of the controls are electric, harness routing into the cab can take whatever path is available. All of the SAE O-ring hose connections are also on the bottom of the enclosure, keeping our frame rail footprint to a minimum.
Designed for underbody hoists, the MESP3020 delivers up to 6 GPM maximum flow to the hoist cylinder. Flow to the auger and spinner reaches 17 GPM and 8 GPM respectively.
System Versions
The MESP3020FASM works with drop-in spreaders and is pre-compensated. On the other hand, the MESP3020GASM is post-compensated and allows for flow to the hoist and spreader simultaneously for tailgate spreader applications. The letters, F and G, tell whether the system is pre- or post-compensated.
Both come with either a powder-coated steel or stainless steel enclosure and weather-tight lid – which is denoted within the model number construction as ASM or ASM-SS.
Manual overrides are standard
equipment. Relief valves and
counterbalance valves are
fully adjustable.
Where to Use
The MESP3020 works well
with: Ford F-350, F-450 and
F-550; Dodge 3500, 4500
and 5500; and Chevy/GMC
3500, 4500 and 5500.
Hydraulic pumps can be
power take-off or belt driven
depending on the engine
and transmission available
on your chassis.
Why the MESP3020’s
Ground-speed Control Matters
Salt usage concerns people at all levels. Use too little, roads remain slippery. Use too much, it wastes resources, damages concrete and potentially affects the environment.
Over application commonly happens for two reasons. First, the operator, wanting to do a good job, applies a heavier application of salt than conditions demand. Second, the equipment may lack ground-speed control, resulting in changing application rates and piles of salt left at every stop the truck makes.
Without ground-speed control, the amount of salt applied per mile at 30 mph is only one-third of the amount applied at 10 mph. Conversely, proper application at 30 mph is overkill at 10 mph by a factor of three. With ground-speed control, you get an evenly applied layer of salt regardless of changes in truck speed and zero piles of salt left at stops.
With the all-electric MESP3020, featuring ground-speed control, the fleet manager can limit the driver’s range of control over application rates. In this way maximum is what the manager says, not what the driver selects.
Mike Knox - Production Manager Snow & Ice Division
A veteran of the Muncie Power Products team, Mike Knox has been with the company for more than 34 years. He is a graduate of Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in industrial technology. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family. Mike is married with three adult children.