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The new generation of MAN trucks, which was presented recently, is being given a reliable aid when it comes to protection against stones and dirt. Solvaro ventilation grilles offer the condensers in the TG trucks stable protection and great air permeability at the same time. With 22 versions and thousands of conditions, the components will be delivered to Munich, Kraków, Vienna, Steyr and Salzgitter in the future.
Small holes make a big difference
If you think all holes are the same, Solvaro might make you think again. After all, finding the right hole for an individually developed component offers enormous potential when it comes to air permeability, stability, costs, rust protection and assembly. That’s why we collaborate with our customers early on, when there are as many options for component optimisation as possible still available. In that spirit, we spent a lot of time working with MAN in the development phase of the new stoneguards and bumper grilles to find the ideal hole variant. For the resulting components, which will be used in the HGV manufacturer’s heavy-duty series, a 2.7–3.2 round perforation was chosen – unusual on the market until now. By increasing the hole diameter in comparison to the more usual 2–2.5 hexagonal perforation, a consistent air permeability of 64.57% was able to be achieved, and at lower manufacturing cost. MAN has now commissioned 22 differently sized components in various designs with this perforation, which will all go to series production in the course of this year.
Raw material optimisation achieves the best price
Further development opened up potential not just in the perforation in this project. A salt spray text in accordance with DIN EN ISO 9227-NSS brought another good result for the cost of manufacturing the parts. The Solvaro parts are made of DC04 – normal steel – and then treated with CDP and powder coating so they meet all customer requirements for rust protection. As such, the path was clear for the raw material to be changed for all models starting new in series production in 2020, from DX54 – galvanised steel – to the significantly cheaper DC04, without compromising on rust protection. Ideally toughened for use against stones and dirt, with MAN’s familiar RAL9011 look, the parts will be delivered on special carriers to the sites in Germany, Poland and Austria.
The solution at a glance:
- Stoneguards and bumper grilles in 22 versions
- Material DC04
- 7–3.2 round perforation
- Air permeability 64.57%
- CDP and powder-coated
- Delivery on MAN-specific carriers