Hyundai Translead has made enhancements to supplying more efficiency and reliability to refrigerated trailers. New design features and manufacturing process are implemented as well as new automaton assets are added to offer higher standards in quality and value that are important to refrigerated trailer customers.
The improved HT ThermoTech trailers, from the Hyundai Motor Group, are among the most durable, increased thermally efficient, and lighter trailers on the road.
Hyundai Translead has focused on how to work in compliance with new regulations to maintain temperature efficiency. Structural components that give refrigerated products their load carrying capacity can work against thermal efficiency because they transfer heat through the insulation. We have worked to minimize the effects of heat transmission with better structural designs. In some cases, the structure mass has been designed so the insulated panels can include more insulating material.
Efficiency loss will occur when moisture saturates the insulation, so designs that prevent moisture intrusion will maintain efficiency longer. Joints and closures were eliminated or improved to be less dependent on caulking and sealants. Primers and bonding techniques are incorporated in the manufacturing process to assure the integrity of lamination between sheet materials. Preventing bonding separation between the outer skins and the insulation will discourage water gain due to condensation.
Maintaining thermal efficiency of refrigerated trailers is an advantage only if the equipment can provide the service life. Hyundai Translead has taken steps to address longevity by redesigning the components most susceptible to damage. The deck now uses taller, stiffer structures to support the floor surface. Heavy duty aluminum floor extrusions fit together with a mechanical lock to take stress off the welded joints, and the new fully automated welding fixture lays down a weld-bead of greater mass for additional strength. All wood structures within the deck were removed and replaced with sustainable recycled materials that will not absorb moisture and increases fastener retention. The combination of material choice and design ingenuity allowed 13% greater floor ratings with no weight addition.
Structural floor sills have been redesigned with rigid PVC, a more durable and recycled material. In addition to material changes, the floors also feature a new “mechanical lock” design, so floor pieces are secured together even prior to welding. Adam Hill, vice president and a lead chief engineer, says of the new, sturdier design, “The improvement is to put a mechanical lock in the design so that when you connect the two pieces together we actually have a big advantage in the mechanical fit of these two pieces together even before we weld it.”
Welding is now fully automated at Hyundai Translead’s plant. Uniform, computerized welding produces a more consistent and durable weld. Every vertical seam in the flooring of each trailer is automatically welded, increasing the mass of the weld by roughly three times.
All Hyundai Translead products use the corrosion protection from hot-dipped galvanization of steel assemblies, and the HT ThermoTech reefer is no exception. All steel deck structures, support legs and braces, slider components and rear impact guards are fully submersed for zinc galvanization after assembly. All component surfaces, including welds, are protected. The integral stainless-steel front impact assembly comes with a coupler assembly fully submersed with paraffin-based undercoating as standard equipment. Many customers chose to have these components fully galvanized at no additional cost.
While increasing thermal efficiency and service life of the HT ThermoTech reefer, all insulated panels were optimized to reduce weight. Sidewalls, roof, deck and front assemblies are lighter by converting to lighter weight raw materials or applying design techniques that require fewer components or leaner assemblies. Today’s HT ThermoTech trailer is 600 lbs lighter for base line-haul models.
Bonjae Lee, CEO of Hyundai Translead commented that “we have invested significant capital expenditures and made improvements to refrigerated trailers to be competitive and we will continue to invest and be innovative.”
