Open / Close Advertisement

SSAB Names Winner of 2010 Swedish Steel Prize

11/22/2010 - South African company Van Reenen Steel Ltd. was awarded this year’s international Swedish Steel Prize for the development of a lighter, more durable body for dump trucks in the mining industry.

South African company Van Reenen Steel Ltd. was awarded this year’s international Swedish Steel Prize for the development of a lighter, more durable body for dump trucks in the mining industry.
 
Van Reenen uses high-strength abrasion-resistant steel in the truck body, which features a raised ridge dividing the floor of the truck body down the middle. This design modification offers the advantages of less wear and easier unloading. Vehicle weight is reduced by 8 tonnes, or 19%. Operating and maintenance costs are lower, as is environmental impact due to lower emissions.
 
“Van Reenen’s solution is very interesting and shows the benefits of high-strength steels,” said Martin Lindqvist, Chairman of the jury and Business Area Manager for SSAB. “The emergence of innovative thinking for such a well-known and tested design as a dumper body is very inspiring.”
 
“Just to be nominated was a great honor, but to be declared the final winner is certainly the highlight of my 25 years in design engineering, and also the most important technical achievement of Van Reenen Steel in the 20 years of its existence,” said Bertus Haasbroek, Technical Manager at Van Reenen Steel.
 
The other nominees receiving runner-up prizes in the 2010 Swedish Steel Prize competition are Blupoint PTY Ltd. from Australia, Ruthmann GmbH & Co. from Germany, and Wranne Fåhraeus Design AB from Sweden.
 
SSAB instituted the Swedish Steel Prize in 1999. The purpose of the Swedish Steel Prize is to provide inspiration and to disseminate knowledge about high-strength steel and the potential for developing lighter, safer, and more environmentally sound products.
 
SSAB is a global leader in value-added, high-strength steel. The company employs 8700 people in more than 45 countries around the world and operates production facilities in Sweden and the U.S. SSAB is listed on the NASDAQ OMX Nordic Exchange, Stockholm.