Germany - BPW Bergische Achsen KG of Wiehl, has developed a new type of trailing arm and further lightweight components to further reduce the module weight of its nine-tonne (9t gaw) Airlight II trailer running gear to less than 370kg. This ultra-light weight axle, says BPW, allows transport companies to benefit from more usable load capacity, fuel saving and digital services throughout the vehicle's life.

BPW claims trailers equipped with its lightweight components generate up to EUR900 in  increased revenue as well as reducing their CO₂ emissions by 200kg a year. To achieve this, BPW combines its tried-and-tested 9-tonne "Airlight II" on-road running gear with an aluminium wheel hub and the ECO Disc TS2 trailer disc brake. The new ultra-light trailing arm represents a technological novelty, which, says BPW, is due to an innovative manufacturing process: The trailing arm is made of high-strength spring steel, forged as a hollow profile similar to the structure of a bone. This structure combines strength with unprecedented lightness: The trailing arm alone reduces the weight of the suspensions on a tri-axle combination by 42 kilos, BPW stated. The aluminium hub brings the weight down by a further 54 kilos.