• The Wertheim municipal building yard uses its new Unimog U 327 implement carrier with UNI-TOUCH operating system across all seasons
• The new operating system enables efficient working with intuitive touchscreen control, ergonomic joystick, and individually assignable buttons
• In Wertheim, the Unimog is used to maintain playgrounds, transport equipment and materials, and keep the roads clear of ice and snow

The Wertheim municipal building yard recently put a Unimog U 327 with the new UNI-TOUCH operating system into service. UNI-TOUCH brings numerous technical innovations to the driver's cab, such as a touchscreen, an optional joystick for the armrest of the driver's and passenger seats, and other controls. Attachments can be controlled more efficiently, and working with the Unimog implement carrier becomes more comfortable and intuitive. UNI-TOUCH was developed specifically for versatile implement use and will make daily work in municipalities such as Wertheim easier.

Unimog implement carrier with UNI-TOUCH in municipal use

With the new UNI-TOUCH operating system, users can quickly and precisely perform municipal tasks such as green space maintenance, street cleaning, and winter service. At the heart of the system is the rotatable and tiltable 10.5-inch touchscreen, which provides quick access to key functions. The touchscreen can be moved between the seats so that it can also be easily operated from the passenger seat.

The operating system is complemented by a newly designed center console, door control panels, and an ergonomically integrated joystick in the folding armrest. The joystick can be flexibly inserted into the right armrest of the driver's seat or passenger seat, allowing to control the attachments always with the right hand via the joystick.

The system also supports personalized control settings: buttons can be individually assigned and work processes can be saved as step-by-step procedures and thus run automatically at the touch of a button. This offers less experienced drivers the opportunity to use previously saved function sequences from their more experienced colleagues. Even with changing drivers, the Unimog implement carrier is quickly ready for use thanks to different profiles that can be called up in a matter of seconds. The combination of touchscreen, repositionable joystick, individually assignable buttons, and customizable interface ensures safe and efficient operation, especially in diverse applications and with changing drivers.

UNI-TOUCH is standard equipment on Unimog implement carriers

Mercedes-Benz Special Trucks first presented the new UNI-TOUCH operating system at Agritechnica 2023. It is now installed as standard in all Unimog implement carriers, from the compact U 219, which is also available in a “Low” version, to the most powerful Unimog U 535 with 354 horsepower.

Mighty Unimog taking care of the little ones

In Wertheim, the northernmost city in Baden-Württemberg, the new Unimog U 327 implement carrier is in daily use. During the warmer months, the Unimog is mainly used in and around Wertheim for playground construction and maintenance. A total of 60 children's playgrounds need to be maintained. With the Jotha interchangeable container system, the U 327 becomes a flexible transport aid for building materials, machines, or bulky goods.

The Wertheim building yard also uses its new Unimog for other transport work and winter service. For this purpose, the employees install an Aebi Schmidt snow plow during the cold season. The building yard has a Bucher wet salt spreader for the rear, which is characterized by its low container design.

When using this type of implement, it can be useful for the driver to be able to access previously saved profiles and processes via UNI-TOUCH. For example, the system can switch on the rotating beacon, activate the working hydraulics, lower the plow blade, and move it to the floating position with a single command via the touchscreen. At the same time, the spreader can be controlled via the working hydraulics without any further action by the driver. Manual clearing and spreading work can begin while the vehicle heats up to the preset desired temperature.

Even after the job is done, all it takes is the push of a button: UNI-TOUCH can be used to start the work process, which switches off the spreader, deactivates the hydraulic system and, if necessary, the PTO shaft, moves the plow blade to the transport position, and switches off the warning light.

The new Unimog U 327 replaces a Unimog U 300 with a good 6,600 operating hours and joins its larger counterparts, a Unimog U 400 and a Unimog U 430, in the fleet. Thanks to its compact design, it is easy to drive even on narrow streets and in tight spaces, such as residential areas, regardless of the task at hand.