InfraStructures - April 2011 - SSAB Presents Innovation and Expertise at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011

SSAB Presents Innovation and Expertise
at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011

At CONEXPO-CON/AGG, SSAB presented innovative applications of high strength steel and wear plate. Exhibits included an Arc Design dumper body (Hardox wear plate), a lightweight truck trailer/chassis model (Domex high strength steel), and a Hardox Wearparts display showcasing wear parts for the construction, aggregates and yellow goods industries.

Lighter, stronger dumper bodies
Arc Design is an SSAB-patented innovative convex dumper design that cuts tare weight while increasing service life of dumper bodies. It combines the flexibility of the conventional dumper with the light weight of the half-pipe dumper. The key feature is a convex floor made of Hardox wear plate which absorbs impacts, increasing durability and preventing cracking. The design – which is particularly suitable for dumpers that transport sand, gravel, rocks and scrap. The convex bottom is made by roll-forming Hardox 450 wear plate. This design protects the dumper’s underlying structure from damage, such as dents from large rocks. Compared to half-pipe dumpers, the new design allows increased volume, while being lighter and stronger than conventional box dumpers. The reduced weight means the Arc Design dumper can carry heavier loads, which means fewer trips.

Volvo Trucks is currently testing the Arc Design on its new Volvo FMX truck, built for heavy construction activities. As part of the testing process, Volvo Trucks is providing customers with Arc Design prototypes in various Russian regions for two-week trials. So far customer feedback on performance has been very positive, with Volvo hoping to achieve its target of increasing dumper body payload by 500 kg. As an added bonus, Arc Design also allows hot engine exhaust to be passed through the space below the convex floor to prevent materials adhering.

Lower cost and weight
An all-new lightweight chassis design for trailers increases payload capacity, simplifies production and improves torsional rigidity.

The design is based on the idea that trailer construction should take full advantage of the properties of high-strength structural steel to offer significantly improved performance. SSAB engineers have built a trailer without a conventional frame. Instead, they focused on optimizing the benefits offered by Domex 960 – SSAB's 4 mm hot-rolled high-strength structural steel – by designing a self-supporting monocoque chassis. The new chassis consists basically of two halves. Plates are laser cut before bending. Longitudinal profiles can be used at the top and bottom of the trailer to handle forces resulting, for example, from tipping a trailer full of gravel.

In addition to clear benefits for users, the design also reduces production time and cost: There are only two longitudinal joints, which means greatly reduced welding work and far fewer components while facilitating the economical use of using robotic welding and laser hybrid welding.

Finding the optimum Hardox for the job
After five years of development, last year SSAB announced WearCalc 2.0, an application which allows quick and easy calculation of the relative service life of abrasion-resistant spare parts. Combined with a comparison of material and production costs, the application allows quick selection of the optimum materials for the job. WearCalc 2.0 predicts erosive and impact wear as well as sliding wear for all types of Hardox wear plate.

The erosion model is based on published research as well as on SSAB research with aggregate and large rocks. At macro level, WearCalc 2.0 predicts whether makeup of the abrasive materials will cause edges to penetrate the steel surface or to break. At micro level, the model uses mineral hardness to calculate erosion on different types of wear plate.

Optimized welding at your fingertips
WeldCalc makes decades of welding experience available in a web-based application, helping users optimize both welding procedures and the result. WeldCalc 2.0 includes recommendations for Hardox, Domex and Weldox steels and combinations of different grades. The intuitive user interface and the new export function mean even easier calculation and application of results.

The user enters the desired mechanical properties, welding process and plate materials involved. The software calculates a tolerance envelope showing the permissible heat input, and both working and interpass temperatures.
The new version of this well-established software allows users to save or export results. Logs can be opened, edited and saved again. WeldCalc 2.0 is web-based, ensuring that users are always using the latest version.

Meet the experts
Whether you are trying to meet new fuel-emissions guidelines, increase the strength, wear-resistance or service life of your equipment, or reduce the tare weight of vehicles to increase payload, SSAB’s experts have the answers.

Source: SSAB Americas