Hardox® HiAce outperforms stainless steel

Waste management company Allmiljö in Sweden operates municipal waste collection in the city of Enköping. Their garbage truck bodies are exposed to a highly corrosive and abrasive environment due to moisture, chemical and compacted waste — conditions that accelerate wear and corrosion.

Allmiljö had traditionally specified stainless steel floor plates but was not satisfied with performance and total cost. Their truck supplier suggested switching to SSAB’s new corrosion-resistant wear plate Hardox^® HiAce for the truck floor to improve wear resistance and impact strength in this demanding corrosive environment.

Six years later, the results are clear.

SSAB monitored wear development over 106,000 km (65,865 miles) with four consecutive thickness measurements. “After six years, we measured only 40% wear at the most exposed point, from the original 5 mm (0.197") plate thickness”, Allebert says. “At this low wear rate, the projected service life exceeds Allmiljö’s operational requirements.”

Importantly, no pitting corrosion was detected — a common problem in garbage trucks with floor plates that use traditional AR steels. Pitting corrosion is usually the root cause of leakage, unplanned maintenance and premature floor replacement.

Because of the low wear rate, garbage truck manufacturers can consider reducing floor thickness to 3-4 mm (0.118" - 0.157"), compared to the typical 5-6 mm (0.197 – 0.236") used with mild steel, stainless steel or conventional AR steel. This creates several advantages:

• Lower material cost due to reduced thickness
• Lower fabrication cost, as less welding and less welding wire used makes it more cost-efficient to weld than stainless steel
• Weight reduction, contributing to fuel savings 
• Improved operational economy for waste management companies and municipalities