Consortium development reduces rigid trailer and body weight by 22%
By Jim Gibbins - 1st February 2019
UK - A consortium including Tata Steel, Lawrence David, SDC Trailers and Cambridge University has produced a prototype rigid-body trailer that reduces total un-laden weight by 2.5 tonnes. The Lightweight Aerodynamic Double-Deck Trailer Trial is the result of an Innovate UK-funded project, which aims to reduce the carbon footprint of trucks, both while out on the road and through the whole life cycle.
The dramatic light-weighting has been achieved by comprehensive use of Tata Steel’s Coretinium steel composite sheet, chassis engineering by SDC Trailers, body design by Lawrence David and aerodynamics by Cambridge University. The result is a vehicle weighing just 8.6 tonnes – 22% lighter than a conventional vehicle – and the ability to carry a larger payload per journey. It also has a higher proportion of recyclable content than conventional rigid-body trailers.
