This year’s winner of the international Swedish Steel Prize is America’s Mack Trucks, part of Volvo Group. The prize was awarded for the company’s innovative suspension system, which takes full advantage of the properties of high-strength steel. “Mack Trucks has laid the foundation for a pioneering improvement of a long-established feature of heavy goods vehicles,” said Melker Jernberg, Chair of the jury, and Head of the EMEA business area within SSAB.
Transport using heavy goods vehicles is an essential aspect of developed societies the world over, and even small improvements can make a considerable impact. Reduced wear and tear, reduced environmental impact, and improved safety are of great importance.
Mack Trucks’ new suspension solution offers improved handling and reduces tyre wear by up to 25%. The new suspension also results in safer vehicles and increased driver comfort.
The Mack Twin Y Air Suspension is the trucking industry’s first suspension to use high-strength steel in a unique Y-shaped design. The strong, yet lightweight design greatly reduces suspension windup and significantly improves tyre traction and braking control.
The Twin Y was introduced in January 2013. It uses two stamped high-strength steel Y-shaped blades at each wheel end. Along with improved tyre traction and braking control, the suspension also offers a more stable ride, better handling and gains in fuel efficiency. Because of the greater flexibility of the steel and the reduced torque reactivity and lighter weight design of the Twin Y, truck components last longer and tyre life is extended.
“Mack Trucks demonstrates how innovative and skilled development can help us to take advantage of high-strength steel to make stronger, lighter, and more sustainable products, which is one aspect of what the prize is intended for,” explained Jernberg, who stressed that competition was fierce among the many strong entries.
The Swedish Steel Prize is awarded in conjunction with a three-day event where participants from around the world gather to share the latest findings on high-strength steel. The award ceremony took place during the closing dinner held at Stockholm’s new event centre – Stockholm Waterfront.
Nominees included Condeco Technologies from Switzerland, Pesa Bydgoszcz from Poland, and Tuff Trailers from Australia, who were runners up in the Swedish Steel Prize 2013.
The Swedish Steel Prize was established by SSAB in 1999 to inspire and disseminate knowledge about high-strength steel and how it can be used to develop lighter, stronger, and more sustainable products.
