The winner of the 2012 Swedish Steel Prize will be announced on 15 November. Four finalists have been nominated for the prize for leading designs in high strength steel. The jury has chosen innovations for the packaging and transportation of metallic scrap, light and sustainable train seats, a truck suspension system, and a timber transportation vehicle called forwarder.

The Swedish Steel Prize is awarded for innovative designs made of high strength steels. The prize is intended to inspire, stimulate and disseminate knowledge about high strength steels and the possibilities they offer to develop lighter, safer and more environmentally-friendly products.

"The quality has been consistently high and it has been a difficult task for the jury to select the four nominees. The large number of applications from 26 countries demonstrates the high level of interest in high strength steels," says jury chairman KG Ramström, Chief Technical Officer, SSAB.

Scrap handling system "Mi-slide" - A-Ward Attachments Ltd - New Zealand
Recycling, which involves the use and transportation of metallic scrap, is extremely important from an environmental perspective. A-ward has designed a flexible and innovative system comprising two units made of high strength steel which compress and pack metallic scrap in containers. The direct loading of the scrap onto the containers results in major savings in terms of cost and time. The risk of damage to the containers is reduced thanks to horizontal loading.

Light train seats ‟Regio and Regio+" – Borcad CZ s.r.o –Czech Republic
Borcad, which enjoys a strong position on the market for light train seats, has developed the next generation of train seats through a smart design made of high strength steels. The slim and yet robust seats are 25% lighter than their predecessors. At the same time, they more than satisfy established strength and collision safety requirements. Thanks to the high strength of the steel, protection is also provided against damage due to vandalism.

"Forwarder 1450 F" - Gremo –Sweden
Within the forestry industry, the need for forestry thinning equipment is increasing. A forwarder is a vehicle which transports timber from the logging site to the road. Gremo has produced a carefully conceived and optimized new design which efficiently utilizes high strength steel. The 15% reduction in chassis weight leads to lower fuel consumption relative to payload. The forwarder’s chassis has been designed for increased torsional stiffness, thereby improving off-road performance, and the engine’s emission control is in accordance with the most recent EU directives. The manufacturing costs have been reduced significantly.

Back axle suspension ‟Twin Y suspension" – Volvo Group Trucks – USA
Volvo Truck Group has produced a new back axle suspension system which resolves a sustainability problem, while at the same time achieving other benefits. Compared with the previous solution, which most truck manufacturers have been using for decades, the new design leads to a 25% reduction in tire wear. This generates major savings for the end-user and has a significant positive impact on the environment. The design, which requires high strength steels, results in both greater rigidity and lower weight. This, in turn, results in improved driver comfort, shorter braking distances, and lower fuel consumption. Production also becomes more cost-efficient.

The Swedish Steel Prize will be awarded on 15 November at Münchenbryggeriet in Stockholm. The winner will receive an award of SEK 100,000 and a statuette. The prize ceremony will conclude with a two-day long event in Sweden at which hundreds of international representatives from the engineering and industrial sectors will participate in plant visits and seminars. SSAB established the Swedish Steel Prize in 1999.