Vehicle Frames
1.4003 Stainless Steel serves as a substitute for mild steel in vehicle frames due to its strength, low maintenance and cost-effectiveness when compared with carbon steels or aluminium. Using our network of global export professional partners, our 1.4003 Stainless Steel products are used in everything from iconic buses around the world, to coaches, trucks and even gritter vehicles.
Stainless Steels have been widely use in a wide variety of vehicles for many years, in applications such as containers, exhaust tubes and catalytic converters. In load-carrying structural components of trains, Stainless Steels are widely used in Japan, the United States, and Europe. And in bus manufacturing, Stainless Steels are making their breakthrough.
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The use of Stainless Steels in bus manufacturing is based on their excellent corrosion properties, impact resistance and longevity. Longer lifetime with longer guarantee of corrosion protection is possible and this gives an economic benefit for bus users. Stainless Steels are nearly 100% recycled which permits them to be considered as a material of sustainable development. By using materials with high recyclability, manufacturers can reduce their environmental footprint and contribute to sustainability efforts.
Bus and coach frames are made by metal active gas (MAG) welding of welded rectangular hollow section (RHS) profiles. And during the last few years, ‘12% Cr-steels’ such as 1.4003 Stainless Steel have increasingly been used in bus and coach structures, as it is easy to fabricate and form allowing for versatile design options.
At Offshore Stainless Supplies, we work with bus chassis manufacturers throughout the UK, across Europe, the Far East and Africa, who can take advantage of 1.4003’s formability to create complex shapes and structures, optimising the frames for strength and weight distribution.
The corrosion resistance properties can help extend the lifespan of bus frames, especially in regions where road salt or other corrosive substances are prevalent. And 1.4003 Stainless Steel still offers adequate mechanical properties for bus frames, where its durability and resistance to fatigue make it suitable for supporting the structural loads encountered during normal operation.
Compared to other Stainless Steel grades like 304 or 316, 1.4003 Stainless Steel is often more cost-effective, which can be particularly advantageous for bus manufacturers seeking to reduce production costs without compromising on quality or performance. Furthermore, 1.4003 Stainless Steel is generally lighter than other metals commonly used in bus frame construction and this can also contribute to improved fuel efficiency and overall vehicle performance.
If you haven’t tried us for your 1.4003 Stainless Steel requirements before, maybe you should!