Luigi Filippi has been familiar with the Schmidt Supra snow cutter blower ever since its early days. Working with one of the first models in this series, a Supra 3000, every year he and his team of workers at Luigi Filippi SA clear snow from the Gotthard Pass and the roads around the small town of Airolo in the Swiss canton of Ticino. After many years of service, the “old lady” can now enjoy a well-earned retirement. Due to the great experience of working with this machine, it did not take Luigi Filippi long to decide which machine should replace it: a new Schmidt Supra 4002.
Back in the summer of 2015, the Filippi family travelled to St. Blasien to see their new Supra being assembled for themselves. Rolf Schmid from the order management team welcomed the group and disclosed plenty of details during the tour of the production halls. With 42 years of service at Schmidt, Rolf Schmid is not just an expert when it comes to the product range, but also knows the production processes in great depth.
Thanks to the careful and experienced production planning by him and his colleagues, the lead time for a Supra from the order planning stage through to final inspection and acceptance is normally around six weeks. It is assembled in line in several cycles. Components such as the driver’s cab are manufactured separately and later fitted on the chassis. Individual customisations can of course also be provided, such as Luigi Filippi’s very particular wish for the vehicle to be painted in Ferrari red. This means that the Schmidt Supra 4002 now not only packs a real punch under the hood, but also makes a very striking visual impression.
The Supra 4002 has a reversible clearing head drive that is directly integrated into the clearing head, eliminating the need for a drive shaft. The powerful dual-block snow clearing unit incorporating a cutter drum and a downstream blower wheel makes it possible to eject snow up to a distance of 40 m. The tank capacity of 530 l allows for up to 8 hours of uninterrupted operation. Optionally, it is possible to switch between wheels and crawler tracks using a quick-change device. The Supra 4002 are powered by a 6-cylinder engine and it has a performance capacity of 320 kW (435 HP) at 1800 rpm. Despite these parameters the engine deliver an environmentally friendly performance according to the European emission standard Euromot IV (for non-member countries Euromot IIIA) – operating with great fuel efficiency and at a low noise level (eco-transport gear).
Luigi Filippi and Michele Delfoc, a long-standing employee and experienced Supra driver, are looking forward to working with the new power package. Rightly so because, as well as lots of technological benefits, the new Supra generation is now also much more comfortable to drive. This includes the logical and ergonomic allocation of operating elements, a TFT colour display, a central control panel for the clearing head with one-hand operation, outstanding all-round views, a front windscreen with negative tilt to prevent the build-up of snow as well as a vibration and noise-proof 2-person driver’s cabin. In addition, the machine features heated front and side windows, heated outside mirrors, right-hand drive, a spring-loaded and adjustable seat and much more.
We wish Luigi Filippi and his team a safe trip whenever they go out in the new Schmidt Supra and lots of powerful moments on the beautiful Gotthard Pass in the Swiss Alps.
