Concrete pump truck manufacturer KCP pumps up with Strenx® to shed weight

KCP Heavy Industries, located in the Gyeongsangnam-do province of South Korea, is a leading Korean manufacturer of concrete pump trucks, sewer cleaning trucks and custom industrial vehicles. The company produces truck-mounted concrete pumps for brands like Scania, Volvo, Mercedes-Benz and MAN, among others. 

KCP is the first company in the world to manufacture concrete boom pumps in Strenx^® 1100, a point of pride for the company. Strenx^® 1100 structural steel has a minimum yield strength of 1100 MPa for stronger and lighter booms, cranes and other structures. KCP used Strenx^® 1100 MC and Strenx^® 1100 E in one of their concrete pump truck models destined for the overseas market, and cut the weight by roughly 600-700 kg (1,323–1,543 lbs.) compared with their existing model.

“One of the first requirements for the road vehicles we produce is that they should be lightweight,” says Kim Nam Jin, laboratory director at KCP. “Our trucks are used to transport concrete and are designed to evenly distribute the load. So, the structural technology here is tricky, with severe space limitations.”

For KCP, Strenx^® performance steel was the perfect choice of material to lightweight their trucks while extending the reach of the booms. They were able to redesign a boom that was 61 meters (200 ft.) long to measure 71 meters (233 ft.), and in the process shed roughly 650 kg (1,433 lbs.) off the truck’s weight. Strenx^® 1100 E is a high-quality material that is also used in some of the largest and most advanced mobile cranes in the world.  

“Because our concrete pump trucks that use Strenx^® are 5-10% lighter compared with competitor products, our customers can increase their vehicle fuel efficiency,” says Kim Won Sik, vice president of KCP. “On top of this, customers today also appreciate the positive environmental benefits of lighter trucks.” 

Another benefit of the boom pump’s weight reduction is easier transport of wear parts to a job site – which translates into less downtime on the job.
And in the workshop, the biggest advantage when welding steel plate with a high tensile strength is that there is minimal heat straining and bending after welding.

KCP is planning to develop its presence on the European market. The company’s recent membership in the My Inner Strenx^® brand program marks an important step towards achieving this goal.

Kim Won Sik says, “My Inner Strenx^® certification gives us an opportunity to progress to a level that wasn’t possible before. This logo on our vehicles makes a strong brand statement that can help us gain the trust of our customers – which I think is the greatest value of all.”