Driving high-performance aluminium components forward SAG Motion

DRIVING

HIGH-PERFORMANCE ALUMINIUM COMPONENTS FORWARD

SAG Motion is a market leader in the development and manufacture of high-quality aluminium components for commercial vehicles. Philip Yorke talked to Josef Lohninger, the company’s sales director, about its advances in pressure tank and fuel tank technology for trucks, and its move into new market sectors.

SAG Motion is a wholly owned subsidiary of SAG, (Salzburg Aluminium Group), which is headquartered in Lend, Austria. The company is the world’s market leader in metallic fuel tanks for the Heavy Truck Industry. But the aluminium group has much more to offer. The company’s Euromotive business unit is focused on supplying aluminium components, systems and special solutions for the automotive and aerospace industry, as well as products made from alternative and hybrid materials. SAG Motion’s product portfolio is broad-based and includes pressurised containers, lightweight construction systems, aluminium thixocasting and renewable energy systems. The company is a global operator with more than 70 per cent of its products being manufactured for export markets worldwide. Innovative concepts

One of the automotive industry’s top priorities today is to reduce the weight of its vehicles in order to make them more energy efficient and more environmentally friendly. In order to meet the new Euro 6 emission targets legislated for commercial vehicles it is vital to develop more efficient engines and to focus on improved, lightweight constructions.

All main heavy truck OEMs are relying on SAG Motion Aluminium Fuel Tanks - more than 500.000 SAG Motion fuel tanks per year are mounted on new Heavy Trucks worldwide!

SAG Motion is an approved supplier of air-pressure tank systems made from aluminium for commercial vehicles, and these new-generation components contribute to a reduction in weight for both the truck and its trailer. The company’s aluminium air-pressure tanks offer up to 50 per cent less weight in comparison with their steel counterparts, however their engineers went a stage further to produce a lightweight mounting system for its new air-pressure tanks. To achieve these advances, the company has developed a new ‘C-Bar’ profile, which offers flexibility combined with less weight and quick assembly. Additional benefits include improved corrosion resistance and a reduction in the number of component parts.

Mr Lohninger said, “From an early stage, we made the strategic decision to introduce aluminium pressure tanks, in order to replace steel. This was in the vanguard of the industrywide drive to reduce weight and meet stricter environmental protocols. Aluminium is also more corrosion resistant and we were fortunate that this move coincided with the number one manufacturer in this business sector pulling out of the pressure-tank business.

“Subsequently we were able to introduce new products for heavy duty trucks. Our unrivalled expertise in this area has also led to the development of new, air tank systems for passenger cars. Between 2002 and 2006 we were also able to develop other vessel shapes and not just the traditional spherical products. These offered customers greater flexibility and wider options for installation. Today we are also developing our own sophisticated alloys not only for the truck industry but also for the aerospace industry.

Mr Lohninger added, “With our unique ‘knowledge-chain’ for joining, welding and profiling we have established our own engineering consultancy that works in close cooperation with our OEM customers. We involve them at an early stage prior to prototyping in order to develop, improve and enhance their individual product ranges. Another key differentiator is that although we are a global operator, we work locally serving our customers close to their own manufacturing bases.

“Furthermore, our lightweight, anti-corrosion technology is now being applied to new market sectors such as those for defence applications and for special vehicles, where light weight, anti-corrosion and reliability count. With the new legislation concerning CO2 emissions and the emergence of electric and hybrid vehicles, our lightweight solutions are being utilised in conjunction with the heavy lithium batteries that are required to power these vehicles. These are all exciting growth areas for us and our on-going investments in new, innovative technology will continue to keep us at the forefront of our industry.”

Reshaping aluminium lightweight components

Ongoing investment in R&D has resulted in a continuous flow of innovative products being produced by SAG Motion. The company’s research encompasses the development, processing and reshaping of aluminium lightweight components, which consist of advanced profiles, sheet metals and forging components. Over the last few years, SAG Motion has also been able to significantly increase its proportion of complex aluminium modules developed in-house.

The company also operates a Thixalloy business unit which specialises in the manufacture of moulded, complex components for the automotive and commercial vehicle industry. This division supplies a wide range of finished products and know-how, which includes safety components with high-yield strength, as well as thin-walled, pressure-tight, weldable and hand-solderable products.

Protecting the environment

Caring for the environment and working towards the production of more sustainable products and processes has always been a priority at SAG. The company strives to protect the environment by employing the most environmentally friendly procedures, modern operating facilities, optimised logistics and the recycling of waste materials. It makes a number of further direct contributions by recovering energy and metals from secondary raw materials.

By using lightweight construction materials with their associated weight reduction, vehicle emissions are significantly reduced. Aluminium is a ‘green’ material and SAG combines sustainability with innovation to enhance all its products. The company is also certified in accordance with the international environmental certificate: ISOP 14001:2004. n

For further details of SAG’s latest products and services visit: www.sag.at

Aluminium Fueltanks for Heavy Trucks from the Word’s Market Leader SAG Motion.