Next-generation stainless steel—in particular, Crompion International’s family of Cromgard stainless steels—is a new phenomenon in the truck trailer and body fabrication sector. Fabricators are under more pressure than ever to mind costs while still maintaining quality, reducing weight to levels lighter than their predecessors, and creating durable truck body and trailers that require little to no maintenance.
Of course, wear and tear is amplified in snowy and icy conditions, and a solution has long been needed. Modern metals are attractive to builders because their properties do more to provide weight savings and corrosion resistance, especially in frigid environments that also have corrosive elements (ie, road salt), than what has been used in past decades. The Cromgard C12 grade is new in this industry, and fabricators will be pleased to know it is more than 85% stronger than traditional stainless steel, and stronger and more corrosion-resistant than aluminum. This allows them to specify a thinner gauge and create a lighter-weight trailer or truck body.
Due to its advanced chemical composition, Cromgard C12 is intrinsically corrosion-resistant and 250 times more resistant to atmospheric corrosion than mild steel. In fact, wherever the material is used, this level of protection increases the lifetime of vehicle and improves performance, especially in wet abrasive and corrosive environments.
In addition, the new Cromgard C20 series offers much higher mechanical properties than Type 304 or 316. Due to its chemical composition, the series provides better corrosion protection and cost stability than traditional 300 series alloys.
The Cromgard C22-2 grade, which is ASME approved for pressure vessel purposes, is well-suited for truck and trailer applications requiring high strength and good resistance to general corrosion. Cromgard C-22-2 has excellent strength, toughness, corrosion resistance, and resistance to stress corrosion cracking (SCC), which makes it suitable for truck trailer applications such as transport tanks. It can be particularly effective in the use of outer linings and shells for liquefied natural gas (LNG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) trailers.
Access www.crompion.com for more details.
