For successfully developing the world’s largest dump truck, with a steerable axle and body components made from high strength steel, Belaz 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. Belaz, from Belarus, is one of four finalists for this year’s prize, which will be awarded during a ceremony on November 20 in Stockholm, Sweden.
“We are delighted to be a finalist for the Swedish Steel Prize,” said Leonid Trukhnov, First Deputy General Design Engineer at Belaz. “The main motivation was to produce the world’s biggest dump truck that could deliver the highest possible capacity with the lowest fuel consumption.”
The Belaz 75710 dump truck has a payload of 450 tonnes, which makes it 25 percent more productive than the company’s next largest dump truck, and reduces environmental impact per load. It can be operated in temperatures down to -60C and at almost 5 000 meters above sea level.
To achieve such high capacity, high-strength steel was chosen for the manufacture of the swivel carriage, a component of the truck suspension system between the axle and the frame that interconnects them together with a slewing bearing.
“We saw that high-strength steel was the best choice when we began discussing the movable suspension,” said Vladimir Zagorsky, Chief of Suspension Design Engineering Department at Belaz. “The design called for four tires in both the front and rear, together with four-wheel drive, which required a new suspension solution.”
The Jury’s motivation
The Swedish Steel Prize Jury‘s motivation for selecting Belaz as a finalist for the 2014 Swedish Steel Prize is:
“By using Advanced High Strength Steel combined with a unique design, Belaz has made the world’s biggest dump truck, which has considerable advantages in terms of productivity and fuel economy. Weldox high strength structural steel is used in the axle suspension to reduce thickness and still handle the extreme axle loads. Equal load distribution on the front and rear wheels combined with a low centre of gravity has resulted in increased stability and safety. Furthermore, the use of Hardox wear plate in the body decreases abrasive wear and impact dents.”
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.