Articles
In-shape solution: Montracon
April 19, 2017 17:07 CEST 6 min read
SSAB’s Shape portfolio allows customers to benefit from SSAB’s market-leading know-how, while saving time and reducing workload through the use of a prefabricated assembly kit. One customer reaping the rewards of the Shape offering is U.K. trailer manufacturer Montracon.
With more than 30 years’ experience in transport and commercial vehicles, Montracon offers one of the widest ranges of trailers on the European market. The company prides itself on its production flexibility and the ability to adapt its products to suit market demand and model mix.
An SSAB customer since 2012, Montracon started using SSAB’s prefabricated Shape portfolio in 2014.
Whereas Montracon used to purchase Hardox 450 steel plates and Strenx 700 sheets to manufacture its own tippers and trailers, it now uses a complete tipper assembly kit from SSAB Shape that it welds together to build its U-Shape tipper.
“This new tipper model is a challenge to the aluminum market, offering the versatility of a lightweight application backed by the strength and toughness of steel. The result is a trailer that is significantly more versatile and able to carry a wider scope of loads,” explains Montracon’s engineering manager, Shaun Gill.
The U-Shape tipper represents a unique combination of Montracon’s unrivaled knowledge of the trailer market and SSAB’s expertise in steel and material capabilities. Meanwhile, the resources at SSAB Shape are on hand to advise on issues ranging from production methods and welding processes to steel options and transportation questions. The finished product is made from a kit manufactured by Shape, welded together and delivered to the market by Montracon.
“For Montracon, having access to SSAB’s complete service of quality, industry-leading steel and brand names, solution attainment and technical expertise is invaluable,” says Gill.
“When it comes to lightweight structures and increased durability of steel, there’s only one steel that the industry wants and that’s Hardox,” he concludes.
About Montracon
With more than 30 years’ experience, it is one of the leading trailer manufacturers on the U.K. market. Based out of its head office in Doncaster, Montracon’s wide range of trailers are built at its manufacturing sites in Doncaster and Market Weighton, England, and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland.
3 benefits of SSAB AHSS steel for Montracon
• Increased wear life of Hardox steel increases the durability and strength of the tipper far beyond what can be delivered by any aluminum body
• Reduced weight to ensure lower fuel consumption and higher payload
• Linking the SSAB and Montracon brands translates to quality, versatility, and industry-leading knowledge and reliability.
By Isabelle Kliger
Photo: Montracon