Weight reduction for tipper trucks and specialized vehicles
Reduce tare weight
Increase structural and specialized vehicle durability
Modernize semi-trailer and tanker structures with high-strength Perform 700 steel, reducing vehicle tare weight by up to 40% and increasing useful payload by 10–20%
Reduce vehicle weight, optimize payload and lifecycle costs
Vehicle tare weight directly determines payload, fuel costs, and overall operating efficiency. Therefore, material solutions must simultaneously address structural strength, wear resistance, and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)
INCORRECT APPROACHES
- Increasing steel thickness to improve load-bearing capacity. Q345, Q355, or 16Mn steel has a yield strength of only around 345 MPa. Increasing plate thickness raises vehicle tare weight without proportionally improving useful payload, resulting in higher fuel consumption and greater axle loads
- Assuming high-strength steel is difficult to fabricate and prone to cracking. These risks are often caused by selecting the wrong steel grade or applying unsuitable fabrication procedures, particularly during cold bending, welding, and heat input control
- Comparing solutions only by initial material cost. A higher steel unit price does not fully reflect the economic value of increased payload, fuel savings, longer service life, and reduced maintenance throughout the vehicle lifecycle
SOLUTION SELECTION PRINCIPLES
- Increase strength while reducing structural weight. Perform 700 and Hardox 500 TUF allow plate thickness reductions of 30–50% at critical locations while maintaining or improving load-bearing capacity thanks to yield strength of approximately 700 MPa or higher
- Design around both material properties and fabrication procedures. Perform 700 and Hardox 500 TUF combine high toughness and excellent formability, but require controlled bending radii, welding procedures, and heat input to preserve the properties of the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)
- Evaluate performance based on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Lower tare weight increases payload per trip, reduces fuel consumption during empty runs, and can extend vehicle body service life, thereby reducing overall lifecycle operating costs
Structural weight-reduction mapping for tipper trucks, semi-trailers & tankers
GAC applies specialized European materials to optimize vehicle weight and mechanical performance at each critical structural zone
Chassis & main beams
Chassis fabricated from thick Q345/Q355 plates are heavy, yet still vulnerable to frame cracking or permanent torsional twisting when navigating rough terrains or discharging off-center loads.
Solution: Replace with 6-8mm Perform 700 high-strength steel (formed into U-channels or welded I-beams), stripping 40% off chassis weight while significantly boosting bending moment and torsional recovery.
Dumper body floors for ore & rock transport
Conventional 10-12mm steel floors dent rapidly under excavator loading, creating pockets that cause material hang-up during tipping while suffering rapid wear.
Solution: Upgrade to 6-8mm through-hardened Hardox 500 TUF wear-resistant steel. Its high hardness (500 HBW) and extreme impact toughness (45J at -40°C) maintain a permanently flat floor, ensuring rapid, clean dumping and a 4.47-fold increase in service life.
Dumper & trailer side walls
Side walls endure sliding abrasion and side-load impacts. Constructing them with thick carbon steel and heavy external stiffeners increases deadweight and aerodynamic drag.
Solution: Utilize 3-4mm Hardox 450 or Perform 700 plates cold-pressed with integrated stiffener ribs, eliminating heavy external frames to achieve a sleek, aerodynamic, and lightweight design.
Bulk cement, fuel tankers & garbage compactors
Vessel shells must withstand internal pressure, chemical corrosion, and abrasive sliding friction. Thick carbon steel tanks severely lower the legal liquid/dry bulk capacity.
Solution: Fabricate tanker shells with 3-4mm Perform 700 steel or acid-resistant Hardox HiAce steel, lowering empty tanker weight and boosting hauling capacity by 15-20% per trip.
5 steps to international-standard vehicle structural lightweighting
GAC provides an integrated structural engineering solution for vehicle manufacturers and transport operators, improving payload efficiency, durability, and lifecycle performance
Finite Element Analysis
We utilize specialized engineering software to simulate load distribution, bending stresses, and dynamic impacts on the body, defining the precise steel thickness needed for each structural zone
Material selection & CNC cutting
We specify genuine European Perform 700 and Hardox 500 TUF steels. CNC underwater plasma cutting is utilized to protect cut edges from thermal microstructural alteration
Integrated press-bending
Heavy-duty hydraulic press brakes cold-form single-plate side panels with integrated stiffeners following certified SSAB/thyssenkrupp guidelines, eliminating external welded frames for maximum rigidity
Certified high-performance welding
GAC certified welding processes are applied: utilizing pre-heated low-hydrogen consumables, managing heat input below 1.5 kJ/mm, and utilizing mixed shielding gases to completely prevent cold cracking in the HAZ
Static scale verification & handover
We perform static axle-load weighing to verify the achieved tare-weight reduction, deliver original European CO/CQ documents, and issue a 24-month structural warranty
Plants successfully using Gia Anh's solutions
Wear protection project for coal conveying pipelines – Vinh Tan 2 thermal power plant
In October 2020, a wear protection project for the coal conveying pipelines was carried out at Vinh Tan 2 Thermal Power Plant. EVNGENCO 3 Power Service Company was responsible for...
Wear protection project for the static separator vanes of a coal mill
In January 2021, Gia Anh Investment Trading Co., Ltd. collaborated with Kalenborn to implement a wear protection solution for the coal mill separator guide vanes at VICEM Hai Phong Cement...
Wear protection project for the cement mill – VICEM Tam Diep cement plant
In December 2020, Gia Anh Investment Trading Co., Ltd. carried out a wear protection project for the cement mill at VICEM Tam Diep Cement Plant. The main treatment areas were...
Wear protection project for a coal mill
In May 2021, Gia Anh Investment Trading Co., Ltd. carried out a wear protection project for the coal mill at VICEM Tam Diep Cement Plant. The scope of work covered...
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Products and services
Specialized high-strength & wear-resistant steel portfolio
Perform High-Strength Structural Steel (thyssenkrupp - Germany): Full range of Perform 500, 550, 650, and premium Perform 700 with a minimum yield strength of 700 MPa, optimized for main trailer beams, structural chassis, and telescopic cranes.
Hardox 500 TUF Extreme Toughness Wear Plate (SSAB - Sweden): Wear plates in 4-10mm thicknesses, combining 500 HBW surface hardness with extreme impact toughness (45J at -40°C), ideal for mining tipper floors and liners.
Cold-Pressed Single-Plate Wall Structures: Integrated side panels manufactured from 3-4mm Perform 700 or Hardox 450 steel with cold-formed stiffener ribs, replacing heavy external structural frames.
Structural torsional analysis & Finite Element Stress Modeling (FEA)
On-site 3D Laser Scanning of trailer structures and calculation of dynamic load points from excavator dumps and off-center cylinder lifting forces.
FEA stress distribution simulations to minimize thickness in zero-stress zones and fortify high-stress nodes with tough structural steel, stripping structural deadweight by 30% to 50%.
High-precision cold-fabrication at Hưng Yên workshop
CNC Underwater Plasma & Water-Jet Cutting: Shaping main chassis webs and brackets without inducing thermal edge hardening or softening the steel's native yield properties.
Heavy-Duty Hydraulic Press-Brake Cold Bending: Forming continuous main frame channels up to 12m in length using dedicated large-radius bending dies conforming to thyssenkrupp specifications to prevent tensile cracks.
Certified dynamic welding & axle load commissioning
Strict dynamic welding processes: vacuum-baking low-hydrogen dynamic electrodes at 350°C, utilizing mixed shielding gases (80% Ar + 20% CO₂), and managing weld heat input below 1.5 kJ/mm to preserve the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) toughness.
On-site static axle-load weighing to certify actual tare-weight reduction, backed by genuine European CO/CQ customs documentation from SSAB and thyssenkrupp.
Key Clients
Frequently Asked Questions
Hardox® 500 TUF combines high hardness (475–505 HBW) with exceptional toughness. Field measurements show that 16Mn steel wears approximately 4.47 times faster than Hardox® 500 TUF and is much more susceptible to cracking and permanent deformation.
PERFORM is commonly used for truck bodies, vehicle floors, subframes, and trailers. It reduces vehicle weight while increasing payload capacity.
Yes. Thanks to its high yield strength, PERFORM enables thinner structural sections while maintaining the required load-bearing capacity. This optimizes the design and contributes to lower fuel consumption.
The return on investment should be evaluated based on the total cost of ownership rather than the initial material price alone. Key factors include reduced vehicle weight, increased payload capacity, lower fuel consumption, and overall operating cost savings.
Hardox® 450 offers significantly higher hardness, better dent resistance, and superior wear resistance than conventional structural steels. It extends equipment service life and allows thinner plates to be used while maintaining structural strength.
Request for solution consultation
Gia Anh's expert will contact you within 24 hours to analyze the problem and provide a suitable solution.
