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2012 Swedish Steel Prize finalists named

The winner of the 2012 Swedish Steel Prize will be announced on November 15. Four finalists have been nominated for the award for creating leading designs in high-strength steel. The jury has chosen innovations for light and sustainable train seats, a truck suspension system, a timber transportation vehicle called a "forwarder," and a solution for the packaging and transportation of metallic scrap.

The aim of the Swedish Steel Prize is to inspire, encourage, and disseminate knowledge about high-strength steel and the possibilities for developing lighter, safer, and more environmentally friendly products. A record number of applications from more than 20 countries were submitted this year, showing that the prize has gained a strong international foothold and that interest in high-strength steel continues to grow. SSAB instituted the Swedish Steel Prize in 1999.

"The quality has been consistently high and it has been a difficult task for the jury to select the four nominees. The large number of applications from 26 countries demonstrates the high level of interest in high-strength steels," says jury chairman KG Ramstrom, chief technical officer, SSAB.

The finalists are:

Light train seats called "Regio and Regio+," Borcad CZ s.r.o, Czech Republic
Borcad, which enjoys a strong position on the market for light train seats, has developed the next generation of train seats through a smart design made of high-strength steels. The slim and yet robust seats are 25% lighter than their predecessors. At the same time, they more than satisfy established strength and collision safety requirements. Thanks to the high strength of the steel, protection is also provided against damage due to vandalism.

Back axle suspension - "Twin Y suspension," Volvo Group Trucks, USA
Volvo Truck Group has produced a new back axle suspension system that resolves a sustainability problem, while at the same time achieving other benefits. Compared with the previous solution, which most truck manufacturers have been using for decades, the new design leads to a 25% reduction in tire wear. This generates major savings for the end-user and has a significant positive impact on the environment. The design, which requires high-strength steels, results in both greater rigidity and lower weight. This, in turn, results in improved driver comfort, shorter braking distances, and lower fuel consumption. Production also becomes more cost efficient.

"Forwarder 1450 F," Gremo, Sweden
Within the forestry industry, the need for forestry-thinning equipment is increasing. A forwarder is a vehicle that transports timber from the logging site to the road. Gremo has produced a carefully conceived and optimized new design that efficiently utilizes high-strength steel. The 15% reduction in chassis weight leads to lower fuel consumption relative to payload. The forwarder's chassis has been designed for increased torsional stiffness, thereby improving off-road performance, and the engine's emission control is in accordance with the most recent EU directives. The manufacturing costs have been reduced significantly.

Scrap handling system - "Mi-slide," A-Ward Attachments Ltd, New Zeeland
Recycling, which involves the use and transportation of metallic scrap, is extremely important from an environmental perspective. A-ward has designed a flexible and innovative system comprising two units made of high-strength steel that compress and pack metallic scrap in containers. The direct loading of the scrap onto the containers results in major savings in terms of cost and time. The risk of damage to the containers is reduced thanks to horizontal loading.

The Swedish Steel Prize will be awarded on November 15 at Munchenbryggeriet in Stockholm. The winner will receive an award of SEK 100,000 (over $15,000) and a statuette. The prize ceremony will conclude with a two-day-long event, where hundreds of international representatives from the engineering and industrial sectors will participate in plant visits and seminars. SSAB is a global leader in value-added, high-strength steel.

Last year's winner: John Deere
Deere & Company (John Deere, U.S.A.) was named the winner of the 2011 Swedish Steel Prize last November for its redesigned harvester header. By using high-strength steels, the company developed a combine that harvests crops more efficiently while meeting stringent engine emissions requirements.

Designfax will post information about the 2012 prize winner as soon as it is available in November. More information is available at www.ssab.com/en/SteelPrize/.

Source: SSAB

Published September 2012

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