Gsodam reduced timber trailer weight by 20% with Strenx® steel

Situated in the town of Teufenbach, Austria, with its rolling hills and green valleys to the north of the Alps, Gsodam Fahrzeugbau was founded by Georg Gsodam in 1918. Nowadays, the company, which started out as a farrier for shoeing horses and other animals, manufactures trailers and vehicles for timber transports. It began using Strenx^® 700MC E steel from SSAB eight years ago.

“For us, the top priority is satisfied customers, and that means maintaining high quality. To succeed in this, we need good employees and safe, reliable partners – like SSAB,” says Elisabeth Gsodam, Georg Gsodam’s granddaughter and the current owner of the business.

Four generations

After the horses and livestock came the tractors, trucks and trailers. Elisabeth Gsodam’s father built the facility in Teufenbach in 1975 and she and her business partner took over in 2004. Elisabeth is the third-generation Gsodam to lead the family business and, lately, members of the fourth generation are also getting involved.

Elisabeth Gsodam and her partner have modernized and expanded the business. In 2009, they acquired the company’s second location in nearby Knittelfeld.

For the last three decades, Gsodam Fahrzeugbau has been producing vehicles, superstructures, and trailers for timber transports.

“We’re very innovative,” emphasizes Gerrit Pirker, Gsodam Fahrzeugbau’s co-owner & Managing Director. “We make vehicles – trailers for tandem, two-axle, three-axle, telescopic, with cranes, without cranes – whatever the customers need to carry out their assignments.”

Steel from SSAB

Pirker explains that Gsodam Fahrzeugbau only uses branded products for all its components – from the brakes to the lighting and, of course, the steel.

These days, all Gsodam Fahrzeugbau trailers are made from Strenx^® 700 steel. Going forward, the plan is also to use Strenx^® for the subframes of timber vehicles.

“We use Strenx 700MC E, so the products are really light and durable – ready for a long service life,” Pirker says.

Building light is key

The company came across Strenx^® 700MC E after having worked with SSAB and its Hardox^® wear plate product for some time. Pirker says he and his colleagues started looking for new ways to reduce the weight of the trailers about eight years ago.

“Building light is a major challenge in our business,” he explains. “This is especially true in our market here in Tyrol, where the vehicles have to drive through checkpoints on a daily basis. That’s why we started looking at Strenx 700MC E to make our vehicles even lighter.”

Pirker describes SSAB as a “good and important partner” that has been involved in supporting the design of Gsodam Fahrzeugbau vehicles – through construction and production – to ensure a “tip-top” end product.

Quick deliveries

Before it goes into production, SSAB’s Strenx^® 700MC E steel is first delivered to Gsodam Fahrzeugbau’s partner Filli in Klagenfurt. They use 3D plans to cut the pieces, before delivering them to Knittelfeld and Teufenbach, where they are processed.

“We’re fast and flexible and ready to receive quick delivery of our cut parts once construction is complete. Furthermore, SSAB is always on hand to advise and take action if needed,” explains Pirker.

Since partnering with SSAB and Strenx^® 700MC E steel, Gsodam Fahrzeugbau has noticed that the cutting is straighter and more precise than with other steel manufacturers. This, in turn, allows them to avoid the need for bending work.

Reduced weight, increased load capacity

“By switching to Strenx 700MC E, we’ve been able to reduce the weight of our trailers by around 10-20 percent, thus increasing the load capacity by between 100 and 400 kg,” admits Pirker.

“Strenx 700MC E behaves very well during welding and cutting, with hardly any deformations,” he continues. “And as it arrives tailored from our partner, we’re able to process it directly, saving time and money.”

Member of the My Inner Strenx^® program

Gsodam Fahrzeugbau has been a member of the My Inner Strenx^® customer program since February 2020.

“The certification is a great award and challenge for us – we’re very proud of it,” says Pirker, adding: “Not everyone is suitable for this partnership, but SSAB evaluated us in various ways to see if we were. We sent them drawings and constructions, which they tested and decided we were a fit – which also makes us very proud.”

Last but not least, as a result of the My Inner Strenx^® membership, the company’s geographic reach and catchment area has also expanded.

“Gsodam is now known far and wide!” exclaims Pirker. “Through My Inner Strenx, many customers in Europe have taken notice of us because everyone knows that being certified by My Inner Strenx means you deliver perfect quality.”