New ultra-light racking system from Modul-System
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A lighter racking system that does not compromise on safety and robustness. A difficult equation for many, but not for Modul-System.
"By introducing ultra-high strength steel into our vehicle racking systems, we are able to reduce the weight further but still retain the system's strength and load capacity", says Thomas Johansson, Vice President of Modul-System.
The trend in the industry for racking systems for light commercial vehicles is going in one direction – lightweight. A lighter system means a lower total weight for the vehicle, which in turn means lower fuel consumption and emissions. And that's positive for the pocket and the environment. Another advantage is increased load capacity. When more equipment can be loaded into the vehicle, the number of trips needed to get additional tools or materials is reduced, saving both time and money.
"The customer surveys we've conducted have all said the same thing: our customers want a lighter system without compromise on strength and load capacity," explains Thomas Johansson.
Ultra-high strength steel
In Modul-System’s new lightweight range, most of the products will be made from advanced steel.
"After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that ultra-high strength steel is the optimum material if you want to achieve the combination of low weight, high strength and collision protection", says Thomas Johansson.
Ultra-high strength steel is four times stronger than normal steel. It also requires significant engineering skill to achieve products that are as strong using a thinner material.
"If we take our shelves for example, the new design in combination with the thinner steel plate means that we've been able to reduce the weight by up to 50% compared to equivalent shelves from 1999".
The lightweight journey continues
Working with weight optimization is nothing new for Modul-System. The company launched its first weight-optimized products already at the end of the 1990s, and a couple of years later came the first lightweight racking system.
When ultra-high strength steel is introduced in the first half of 2013, it will be our third generation of lightweight racking systems. But far from the last.
"Our journey towards lighter weight will not end there. We'll keep on optimizing the weight of our racking systems. There is always more you can do", promises Thomas Johansson.