Zetterbergs: "The life time of our dumpers has increased by 40 per cent"

The transport of gravel, stone and many other materials requires a dumper which can withstand heavy loads."Since we upgraded the steel to Hardox^® 500 Tuf wear-resistant steel, SSAB's premium material, we have increased the useful life of our dumpers by at least 40 per cent," says Roberth Löfstedt, Marketing Manager at Swedish company Zetterbergs.

The glossy red of Zetterbergs' latest offering sparkles proudly in the sunshine: this is the dumper ZD4-KA. A new product which tips and empties the load effectively and quickly. The Hardox^® 500 Tuf wear-resistant steel from SSAB is an important component in the new dumper.

"It is a hard-wearing material with high load capacity, enabling our customers to transport a bigger load each time. A haulier's profit depends on how much they can transport. In this way, revenue increases while fuel costs go down," Löfstedt says.

Another benefit of Hardox^® 500 Tuf steel is the products' longer life cycle.

"You can use your dumper or tipper for longer, with less impact on the environment than having to buy new equipment all the time," Löfstedt goes on.

Yet another aspect is that the design can be made lighter with Hardox^® 500 Tuf steel.

"Customers drive long distances unloaded, so if the dead weight is low, this reduces both wear and fuel consumption," Löfstedt says.

Zetterbergs is located in the small Swedish town of Östervåla. It was here that Henrik Zetterberg started up his business in 1923, and just two years later mounted the first loading platform on a Ford model T. Today, the company develops, designs and supplies lorry superstructures throughout the world, with its biggest customers based in Norway, Sweden and Switzerland. Most of the work is carried out on site at the factory in Östervåla, from machining and welding to surface treatment. Among the products are tippers, hook lifts, dumpers and fixed platforms.

Zetterbergs has worked together with SSAB for many years.

"We feel it is very important that the majority of our products are Swedish-made, and what could be more Swedish than iron ore mined in the quarries of Northern Sweden and refined at SSAB's factories in Oxelösund and Borlänge?"

A constant emphasis on developing and optimising products has characterised SSAB's and Zetterbergs' collaboration over the years. Together they examine the challenges faced by their customers and how lorry superstructures can help improve daily transport tasks.

"Our cooperation with SSAB extends to both design and choice of materials, in order to increase the useful life of our products and their load capacity, an important factor when operating heavy transports," Löfstedt says.

Stefan Berglund, Sales Manager at SSAB, agrees:

"One of the important things is to increase strength and wear resistance, while keeping the material hardness to an appropriate level. If you drop a stone into a dumper from a height of two metres, the material can crack if it is too brittle. Here Hardox^® 500 Tuf steel is perfect, as it is tough and resistant to crack formation," he says.

So what plans do Zetterbergs have for the future?
"We have a strong focus on growth and intend to go on expanding our range and developing our products, in continued cooperation with SSAB!"