Swedish know-how and design startup STILRIDE has created proprietary sustainable manufacturing know-how, known as STILFOLD, which includes using robotic arms to fold metal over curves to type gentle and powerful new constructions, utilizing minimal part elements.

The know-how is presently getting used to construct a fleet of sustainable metal electrical motorbikes, lowering the environmental influence of EV manufacturing by as a lot as 50%. 

But the agency additionally estimates that if used to construct semi-trailers, STILFOLD might take away the necessity for about 360,000 HGV journeys to be made a 12 months and stop as much as 12,000 tonnes of CO2 from coming into the environment, by growing HGVs’ load capability by 5% and making semi-trailers extra environment friendly.

Methodology

1. Design 

To attain this estimate, STILRIDE’s design group first labored out how they might construct a semi trailer by folding sheets of metal over curves utilizing STILFOLD, with the purpose of reducing the trailer’s complete weight and simplifying its building.  In their design, they reimagined the standard ladder body utilized in semi trailers, as a substitute creating an “origami” exoskeleton utilizing origami-inspired metal folding. The outer shell consists of two metal sheets with one fundamental weld and eight, strategically-placed folds. This provides the required construction and retains the load down. 

2. Performance

The STILRIDE designers centered on making their semi trailer extra aerodynamic and enhancing its materials effectivity to make it sturdy but gentle. The STILFOLD trailer requires 90% fewer part elements (in comparison with conventional fashions) and will be constructed utilizing 30% fewer supplies. The STILFOLD trailer would weigh an estimated 2000kg lower than conventional semi trailers, weighing in at 6000kg (in comparison with ~8000kg for present fashions). The STILRIDE designers aimed to simplify components of the design and use fewer supplies while retaining the trailer’s structural integrity; and to enhance the trailer’s efficiency to scale back HGVs’ gas consumption while enabling HGVs to hold heavier masses. 

3. Impact 

To work out the influence their design might have, researchers analysed Swedish transportation information with a deal with the development and mining sector. 

• The information reveals that in Sweden, 44 million journeys are made by HGVs yearly, with over 492 million tonnes of products being transported over 3.4 billion kilometres. A big proportion of those journeys are brief and contain supplying the development and mining sector with supplies and assets. These journeys account for 33% (161.5 million tonnes) of the freight transported inside Sweden every year. 
• The mining and building sector has a mean 22 tonne most load restrict for every journey. Assuming that at the least 50% of all journeys are made utilizing a HGV or LGV (Large Goods Vehicle) with a trailer hooked up, and 60 – 70% of the load capability is enabled by the trailer, STILRIDE calculates that round 48 million tonnes of fabric are being transported by trailer within the mining and building sector yearly.
• The STILFOLD trailer is 2 tonnes lighter than the semi trailers presently in use. If simply 50% of the 7,346,000 yearly journeys throughout the mining and building sector gained 2 tonnes of load capability every year, this might create a load improve of seven,346,000 tonnes which represents 5% of the overall yearly tonnage transported throughout the mining and building sector in Sweden. 
• STILRIDE researchers estimate this load improve might imply 360,000 heavy load journeys may very well be prevented every year, stopping 12,000 tonnes of CO2-eq from coming into the environment yearly. 

Jonas Nyvang, CEO and co-founder at STILRIDE, feedback:

“We are all the time searching for new methods to advance our STILFOLD know-how and scale back the automotive trade’s influence on the planet. Heavy items transportation accounts for a major proportion of transport emissions in Europe – and so it’s an space we’ve lengthy been concerned about tackling.

“As this new analysis reveals, our know-how has the potential to considerably scale back HGVs’ influence on the planet, by rethinking how semi trailers are used and produced  by modern design. This use case reveals that by embracing change and innovation, it’s attainable to remodel how closely polluting industries function, enhancing efficiency and effectivity while lowering emissions.

“Our immediate focus remains on bringing our first electric motorbike to market – but in future we hope to bring innovations including a sustainable steel semi trailer to market.”

Henrik Sieurin, Expert Engineer at Scania, whose PhD from KTH Royal Institute of Technology centered on metal and materials optimisation, feedback:

“Replacing the traditional ladder frame trailer with a STILFOLD structure enables aerodynamic improvements and reduced weight, offering reduced fuel consumption and increased load carrying capacity, reducing the environmental impact of heavy transport.”