For developing a lightweight and more efficient trailer made from high-strength steel, Santander Equipos is a finalist for the 2014 Swedish Steel Prize.
The Swedish Steel Prize is awarded annually by SSAB, the global leader in high strength steel and wear plate, to recognize the most innovative design utilizing high-strength steel. Santander Equipos, from Chile, is one of four finalists for this year’s prize, which will be awarded during a November 20 ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden.
“Our customers wanted to increase their competitiveness and profitability per unit through a lighter trailer that could transport more cargo, and that also had a more attractive design,” said Gonzalo Santander, General Manager and Owner of Santander Equipos. “The trailer’s main characteristic, which uses high-strength steel, is a much lower tare or unladen weight.”
The optimized trailer features a curved roof that improves the aerodynamics at cruising speed and can carry around 32 tonnes. Instead of two frame beams, like most trailers, it has only one. Instead of only one side level to carry bottles, it has three. The bogie, where trailer wheel axles are located, has a floating structure instead of being fixed.
This trailer model utilizes up to 90% more high-strength steel than previous trailers. The trailer’s backbone is a center space frame consisting of three parallel C-beams linked by a cross member diagonal.
“It weighs about two and a half tonnes less than our previous model; 5,300 kg instead of 7,800 kg,” said Santander. “That’s a significant difference that benefits both the customer and us, because it allows the trailer to carry more freight and puts Santander in a more competitive position.”
The Jury’s motivation
The Swedish Steel Prize Jury‘s motivation for selecting Santander Equipos as a finalist for the 2014 Swedish Steel Prize is:
“Santander has developed a new lightweight trailer for the transportation of beverage pallets. The payload has increased so that seven new trailers can transport the same load as eight conventional ones, which means both economic and environmental advantages. A conventional beam design in the main frame has been replaced by a bolted lattice structure made of advanced high-strength steel. This new innovative design concept meets high demands on strength, life time and production economy.”
First awarded in 1999, the Swedish Steel Prize exists to inspire and increase knowledge surrounding the use of high-strength steel to develop lighter, safer and more sustainable products.
The winner of the Swedish Steel Prize will receive a stipend of SEK 100,000 and a trophy by Jörg Jeschke. The award ceremony is part of a three-day event at which approximately 600 international representatives from the global manufacturing and steel industry will participate in seminars and site visits at SSAB.
SSAB is a Nordic and US-based steel company. SSAB offers value added products and services developed in close cooperation with its customers to create a stronger, lighter and more sustainable world. SSAB has employees in over 50 countries. SSAB has production facilities in Sweden, Finland and the US. SSAB is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange in Stockholm and has a secondary listing on the NASDAQ OMX in Helsinki. www.ssab.com.