The nominees are:
Andreoli Engineering S.r.l and Bordoni Bonfiglio S.r.l of Italy
By radically redesigning the lattice framework for a sprayer unit spreader arm, Andreoli Engineering S.r.l. has put high strength steel to very innovative use. The framework consists of two laser cut plates that are joined together with a minimum number of welds. The weight and production cost have been substantially reduced, while the increased stiffness has led to higher precision and reduced liquid spillage when the sprayer is in use.
Hydroforming Design Light AB of Sweden
The company has developed unique roller skis by putting to innovative use the good elasticity and high strength of advanced high strength steel. The elasticity of the roller ski can be adjusted to suit the weight of the skier, which results in a skiing experience that is very close to that on snow. The advanced steel has led to a winning concept in competition with other high tech materials.
Labrie Environmental Group, Inc. of Canada
By putting to use the wear resistance and structural properties of the steel in selected thicknesses and widths, Labrie Environmental Group, Inc. has succeeded in lowering the weight, while also increasing both the strength and the wear resistance of the containers and loading arms of a front-loader refuse collection truck. The very high strength of the wear resistant steel used for the whole of the container also enables higher compacting pressure to be applied which, together with the weight reduction, has allowed for a substantial increase in payload.
Lecitrailer SA of Spain
Lecitrailer has developed a trailer with a sandwich construction platform of advanced high strength steel which, in combined action with the remainder of the chassis, has minimized the number of the trailer chassis cross-members. The design has been subjected to full-scale tests that have demonstrated that the strength of the high strength steel has been put to full use. The sandwich construction platform of advanced high strength steel can therefore meet the competition of alternative materials in terms of weight, strength and stiffness, at a substantially lower cost.