Transcript

Success StoriesAsia ShowcaseAlcoa Wheel Products

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

With the growing awareness of being environmentally responsible, there is a concerted effort by all levels of industry, from manufacturers to transport operators, to provide products and services that support the green movement.

Bus manufacturers, like Scania and Volvo are no exception. Their efforts to provide environmentally friendly buses cover all major manufacturing specifications, including their wheels!

The single–deck Euro V buses from Scania hold the distinction as Asia’s first Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicles (EEV). They were selected to meet Singapore’s largest public transport operator, SBS Transit Ltd’s (a subsidiary of ComfortDelGro, one of the world’s largest land transport companies) stringent demands for safety, be environmentally friendly and most importantly, have the potential to minimise fuel consumption. SBS Transit is also investing in new Euro V double deck buses from Volvo.

The structure of the bus, made of high tensile aluminium alloy, improves fuel efficiency due to weight reduction. To further enhance environmental and fuel performance, lightweight forged aluminium wheels by Alcoa are frequently specified for public buses in Singapore and around the world.

The new buses from Scania and Volvo feature Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels with XBR® Technology, which is not only lighter compared to steel wheels but also offers better heat dissipation for extended tyre and brake life. In addition, Dura-Bright® boasts a patented surface treatment that enables it to withstand the demanding rigours of thousands of kilometers and washes - and still maintain its showroom shine. It does not chip, corrode or discolour, and never needs polishing. It is also 100% recyclable. Besides faster, easier cleaning and maintenance, Dura-Bright® wheels possess the same legendary one-piece forged aluminium strength all Alcoa wheels are known for, ensuring a safe, comfortable ride for SBS Transit commuters.

Alcoa and the Industry Taking Initiatives Towards Going Green on the Roads

Environmentally friendly buses featuring a lightweight aluminium alloy structure and Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels with XBR® Technology keep up the good looks while ensuring a comfortable ride in Singapore.

Singapore

Alcoa Goes the Distance in Meeting the Demands of Fleet Customers

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

MON Transport Co. Ltd., is a total logistics solutions provider with expertise in the transportation industry in Thailand. It provides general transport solutions, mail and parcel services, as well as dangerous goods transportation. Boasting a young agile fleet, their fully-owned Isuzu trucks range from light commercial pick-up vehicles to 22-wheel container trucks. They also have more than 200 aluminium tanker trucks for handling dangerous goods like petroleum products, liquid carbon dioxide and other chemicals.

Mon Transport is a major customer of one of Alcoa’s top procurer, Heil Asia Limited, a leader in providing customised transportation solutions in the form of design and manufacturing of tank trailers and trailer products.

When Mon expanded with new vehicles to further enhance their high quality service standards, Alcoa forged aluminium wheels were exclusively specifed into the latest tankers to address key concerns including durability and weight reduction.

According to Ms Sirimon Usap, Director of Mon Transport, the switch from steel wheels to Alcoa’s aluminium wheels ultimately resulted in higher profits for the company. She said, “With 22 wheels on each petroleum tanker, we managed to save 440kg on every vehicle. This signifcant weight reduction allowed us to increase our payload by 500 litres of petrol per tanker, per trip. That’s an estimated 1.2% in extra revenue for the company!”

“Alcoa wheels are extremely strong and impact resistant. This is a valuable asset in the transport of dangerous goods. Tankers are expensive trailers, with a service life of over 15 years; and Alcoa wheels are known to last that long,” she added.

The forging process that Alcoa wheels are known for, make them the strongest wheels in the industry. Every wheel starts off as a single block of high-strength corrosion resistant alloy and ends up in wheels with unrivalled forged strength that pass the most demanding tests: TϋV, LBF and JWL-T. Alcoa forged aluminium wheels have a 5-year unlimited mileage warranty against manufacturing defects and confidently meets the needs of one of Thailand’s premier transportation companies, Mon Transport.

Ms. Sirimon Usap, Director of Mon Transport, with Mr Peter Williams, Managing Director, Alcoa Wheel Products Australia & Asia.

Thailand

Kyonggi Bus, Korea’s biggest bus company has been dedicated for the past 80 years to providing transport to millions of people all over Korea. Its 5,000-strong bus fleet ply the roads each day, providing city, intercity, express and tour bus services.

Back in 2003, Kyonggi bus proactively began its search for a solution to reduce fuel consumption. It was then that the company met Alcoa and was introduced to the practical benefits of using aluminium wheels over steel. Alcoa’s forged aluminium wheels ultimately became the answer they were looking for. When compared to its steel wheel counterpart, Alcoa aluminium wheels weighed over 30% lighter and provided a massive 84kg reduction in total weight per bus. According to their field test, they could obtain approximately 3% fuel savings just by switching to Alcoa wheels. In another comparative test, the company noticed a 10% increase in tyre life and a 16% increase for brakes.

Consequently, Kyonggi Bus made the revolutionary change to Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. Today, its entire fleet of Daewoo buses showcases Alcoa wheels and continues to benefit from the cost savings and unrivalled performance of the wheels with excellent results.

Increased Fuel Efficiency & Cost Savings with Alcoa

Jirisan Express Bus company operates a fleet of more than 40 Daewoo buses in Hamyang city in South Korea. The tour coaches take tourists from Seoul to the famed Jirisan mountain, which is the 2nd highest mountain and one of the most scenic in South Korea.

Mr. Yang Ki-Hwan, the CEO of Jirisan Express Bus believes that safety is of paramount importance as they are in the business of transporting human lives. There is no compromise on safely

Safety 1st with Alcoa

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

Mr Hur, Myung-Hoi, President/CEO, said, “Kyonggi Bus is proud to be associated with Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. We have been using them for 6 years now and have always experienced excellent results. We intend to spec in Alcoa aluminium wheels for every new bus in our fleet expansion plan.”

Mr Hur’s confidence in Alcoa wheels is evident in his recommendations when interviewed by the media or when speaking at a public forum. “I will not hesitate to recommend Alcoa aluminium wheels to any other company who is looking to boost their fuel efficiency. At Kyonggi Bus, we have seen the difference it has made to our fuel bottom line to know that for sure,” he said.

standards and only the best will do for their customers. That is why Jirisan Express Bus made the switch to Alcoa wheels for all their buses.

As the buses take on the mountainous roads daily, the heat build up around the tyres is significant and poses a potential hazard to the overall safety of the passengers in the form of tyre breakdowns. “It is my belief that the rapid heat dissipation capability of Alcoa aluminium wheels will reduce the chances of tyre failures. Any tyre failure on highways or on mountainous roads can be dangerous,” said Mr. Yang.

Besides the increased assurance of safety, Mr Yang was pleased to add that Jirisan Express Bus company also enjoyed significant savings on tyres & brakes due to the extended life span of these parts.

The entire fleet of Daewoo buses is now running on cooler Alcoa wheels and Mr. Yang is extremely satisfied with the performance of the wheels. With such deep confidence in Alcoa wheels, he is actively recommending them to several other fleets in the same industry, thus earning himself a reputation as Alcoa’s brand ambassador!

Alcoa Dura-Bright® wheels with XBR® Technology meets the demands of Kyonggi Bus, Korea’s biggest bus company.

Another satisfied customer, Mr Yang Ki-Hwan, CEO of Jirisan Express Bus.

Korea

Alcoa Wheels Runs True, Lasts Longer on the Dangerous Goods Delivery Route

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

Yi Chang Logistics, is an established carrier of Dangerous Goods, handling hazardous substances on a daily basis across China.

Operating a robust fleet of almost 1,400 tractors and tankers, the company grew from a humble team of 2 to 3 tankers in 2001 to what they are today. Expansion plans to almost double the fleet size are already in the works for 2011.

To date, 50% of the fleet, comprising tractors and trailers from Dong Feng Limited; Northern Benz; Hang Zhou Special Vehicles; and CIMC Tong Hua Trailers, is fitted with Alcoa wheels! This translates to an astounding 8,000 wheels - and the number is expected to increase with 100% of new vehicles being specified exclusively with Alcoa wheels.

“Yi Chang Logistics prides itself on the high level of service we provide to our customers and maintain a strong commitment to safety while meeting demanding deadlines. With extreme road and weather conditions in China, we need to ensure that our fleet makes their deliveries without any breakdowns. Alcoa aluminium wheels are not only light weight but durable. Their high strength is proven and keeps our fleet running smoothly for the long haul,” said Mr Xu Yi Chang, owner of Yi Chang Logistics.

The advantages of switching from steel to aluminium wheels were apparent when their field test results showed an increase in fuel savings and up to a 33% extension of tyre life.

“We will not only continue using Alcoa wheels but highly recommend them to other fleets,” said Mr Xu.

Mr. Jiang Yong, Sales Director, Alcoa Wheels Products and Mr. Ross Simmons, General Manager, Alcoa Wheel Products Australia & Asia at a site visit to Yi Chang Logistics.

China

Mr. Xu Yi Chang (far right), owner of Yi Chang Logistics, bringing the Alcoa team on a tour of his company’s facilities.

Mission Accomplished: Alcoa Helps Lower Operating Costs

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

Proven Benefits of Alcoa Wheels Come Up Tops in Conclusive Road Tests

Jiangxi Changyun Co. Ltd, is a multi-faceted company with businesses spanning several industries including transportation, construction, electronics and hospitality, among others. It is principally engaged in road passenger transportation and serves over 2.3 million passengers annually.

Its tourism arm operates a cosy fleet of 80 long haul tour buses and 10 units of standard buses from Neoplan (Jinhua); and has been in the business for over 15 years. The last three years saw all their buses progressively plying the intercity routes with Alcoa forged aluminium wheels. The unanimous decision to change over from steel to aluminium wheels were a result of conclusive internal performance tests conducted on both types of wheels.

In their ‘steel versus aluminium’ performance tests, results showed that mileage increased by at least a staggering 100,000km before tyre wear set in and a change over was required. After running a distance of 200,000km, tyre wear-off was only 4mm and still going strong. When completely fitted with Alcoa aluminium wheels, each bus weighed 175kg lighter compared to the former steel wheel configuration. The lighter overall weight reduced inertia and made way for a higher payload, while Alcoa wheel’s superior concentricity improved tyre rolling resistance. All these translated to an overall increase in fuel efficiency of up to 1.97L/100km, and an estimated 7.53% savings in fuel costs for Jiangxi ChangYun.

The proven benefits of Alcoa aluminium wheels do not leave any doubt in our minds that it is the obvious answer to better fuel economy and longer tyre life for our buses. Besides these advantages, the ride is more stable and feels safer. Our buses certainly look better with the brightly polished-looking wheels which we maintain with only soap and water,” said Mr Xiong, Technical Manager of Jiangxi Changyun Co. Ltd.

Alcoa forged wheels has since been the standard specification for all new buses and highly recommended to emerging long haul bus companies managed by the group.

Panyu Tongda Transportation Co. Ltd, operates out of the prosperous province of Guangzhou in southern China. It provides a daily inter-city bus service that shuttles between a few key cities including Panyu to Dongguan, Shenzhen & Zhuhai. The fleet uses a mix of 60 locally assembled buses (Yutong, Xiamen, King Long and Higer) and clock high annual mileages of 200,000km per year.

High operating costs are a key concern to Mr. Huang Dichong, Deputy General Manager. He has narrowed down two controllable factors that directly impact the company’s profitability - tyre & fuel costs. In the search for a viable solution to effectively reduce and manage costs, Alcoa representatives stepped in and presented to the management team, the proven benefits of Alcoa forged wheels. The wheels were put to the test on two Panyu Tongda Transportation buses and they performed as expected.

Results of the internal test showed that Alcoa wheels not only extended tyre life by 30% on the front axles but also solved the problem of irregular tyre wear. With longer lasting tyres, the company achieved significant savings on their overall tyre bill. Weighing significantly less and having higher concentricity; better tyre rolling resistance; and a higher payload compared to steel wheels, Alcoa’s lightweight aluminium wheels successfully contributed to fuel savings of up to 1.4 litres/100km. When used across the entire fleet, this translated to noteworthy savings amounting up to 168,000 litres of fuel per annum!

“Alcoa aluminium forged wheels is the solution to long term cost reduction at Panyu Tongda Transportation company. We are wholly convinced of its cost reduction capabilities and are progressively replacing our existing fleet’s steel wheels with the more durable and lightweight aluminium wheels. Aloca wheels are now a standard spec for all our new buses,” said Mr Huang.

Durable, lightweight aluminium wheels by Alcoa wins over Panyu Tongda with long term solutions that work.

Tested, Proven and Approved! Alcoa forged aluminium wheels is thewheel of choice for Jiangxi Changyun.

China

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

Enhanced Corporate Image with the Brilliant Good Looks of Alcoa wheels

Horng Jiunn Transport Co. prides itself on its strong corporate image and impeccable service quality to customers. Since its establishment in 2003, their reputation for timely deliveries and excellent service has been growing rapidly.

The Taiwan-based transport company delivers electrical cables, construction materials and machinery by means of a pedigree fleet comprising top of the range trucks from Benz, Renault, Scania and Volvo.

With such a strong emphasis on corporate image, Mr. Chen, owner of Horng Jiunn Transport Co., did not hesitate to trial Alcoa wheels on his trucks when he was initially introduced to them. “Alcoa wheels enhance the image of my trucks and keep them looking good with little maintenance effort,” he said.

The results of the test proved to be more than what he bargained for when Alcoa wheels helped save about 2% in fuel costs and 7% in tyre costs. The fleet of more than 20 vehicles has since been converted to Alcoa wheels.

From Sea Port to Warehouse, Alcoa Helps Bring in the Grain Safe and Sound

Dongliang Xinrui Logistics operates a hectic delivery schedule, transporting much needed agricultural products like grain from the seaports to local warehouses in the provinces of Tianjin, Beijing and Hebei, in China. To meet transportation needs, a well-managed fleet of almost 200 Foton tractors and locally made 3-axle trailers are utilised to convey the goods over land.

With steel wheels a specification of the past, all Dongliang Xinrui Logistics vehicles now run on lightweight Alcoa aluminium

wheels. The company cited savings on fuel and increased tyre life as the main reasons why they decided to change to aluminium wheels.

“We are very happy with Alcoa wheels and have been recommending them to other fleets. We see cost savings in fuel consumption and our tyres last longer. Alcoa wheels will definitely be specified when we expand our own fleet later this year,” said Mr Liu Guo Fu, owner of Dongliang Xinrui Logistics.

Meeting the needs and expectations of another contented customer in China, Dongliang Xinrui Logistics.

Going strong and looking great in Taiwan with Alcoa wheels!

China

Taiwan

Commercial Vehicle Wheels – Asia

www.alcoawheels.com 2010

.08


Top Related