A medium-duty farm trailer that reduces weight and increases safety features has won the Swedish Steel Prize University Challenge.
The winning design was developed by Manuel Genzor, a civil engineer from Spain. The trailer chassis was originally developed by the Spanish trailer manufacturer Beguer, which in turn contacted the University of Zaragoza in northern Spain for help in testing the chassis performance.
Genzor, who was studying for a degree in civil engineering, became interested in the project and used it for his thesis. With Sergio Sanchez from Beguer as his mentor, Genzor tested replacing mild steel parts in the chassis with the high-strength steel, Domex 700 MC. Beguer has built and sold three more trailers since the project was completed.
“This is a good example for both Beguer and SSAB of how a student project can develop into real business development projects,” said Luis Antunano, area sales manager for SSAB Specials Steels in Spain.