Company
The old-established firm of F.X. Meiller produces tipper bodies and trailers and is the leading supplier of system solutions to all major vehicle manufacturers. To ensure that all their tippers can withstand the extreme demands of daily use, Meiller relies on Ruukki’s Raex® special wear-resistant steels. Ruukki‘s strong logistics systems have for many years made Ruukki a reliable business partner for F.X. Meiller.
Company: F. X. Meiller GmbH, Germany
Sector: Tipper bodies and trailers (Construction Logistics)
Staff: 1,600 employees
Company headquarters: Munich
Challenge
Market leader with high quality standards
F.X. Meiller, a family owned company, has been active in the construction logistics sector for more than 160 years. Reflecting its experience in the development and manufacture of tipper bodies, Meiller has won the German Industrial Standards Organisation’s “Best Tipper Brand” award in each of the last six years. As the market leader, Meiller demands the highest quality standards and offers an innovative product range. Working closely with vehicle manufacturers, Meiller produces three-way/two-way tippers, rear tippers, heavy-duty dumpers, tipping trailers and semi-trailers, skip handlers and roll-off tippers. Meiller produces not only steel bodies, but also provides the drive technology.
Extreme stresses during production and heavy wear during operation
Starting with the manufacture of tipper bodies, steel sheets are subject to high requirements. They need to be easy to process, that is easy to cut, bend or weld. At the same time, the steel must be hard enough to ensure the finished product is durable in operation. Moreover, production of Meiller tippers requires exceptionally large steel sheets, in some cases up to eight metres in length and 20 millimetres thick. Handling sheets of these dimensions is a difficult task and requires experience and know-how.
Subsequently, tipper bodies are subjected to extreme loads in daily operation. During each tipping process, the abrasive material being transported slides over the steel, potentially scratching away the surface. This means the steel employed has to be resistant to wear and reliably able to withstand extreme conditions. In addition, the steel construction needs to be as light as possible in order to maximise payload, reduce fuel costs and thereby optimise operating economics.
A further requirement is that the steel used should meet the visual standards set by customers. The outer surface needs to be smooth and clean and to match the design of the driving cab. Steel appearance is becoming increasingly important for customers, with a vehicle's overall look now playing a major role in vehicle marketing.
Solution
Wear-resistant steel and a strong logistics concept
There are only very few manufacturers who are both market leaders and can offer this sort of product. Ruukki is one of those few. Ruukki special steels, Raex® 400 and 450, tick all these criteria. They are easy to process and to cut to the shapes required. At the same time, they are extremely wear-resistant, very durable and can manage the extreme loads and meet the quality standards required. They also satisfy the visual criteria demanded of the steel‘s surface finish. Raex® steels are not only strongly wear-resistant, but also present a smooth and even finish.
What is more, Ruukki can supply steel sheets in the widest possible range of sizes and shapes. Ruukki can individually tailor the sheets it supplies to match customer specifications – and can do so at short notice.
Significantly, Ruukki also offers customers a strong logistics concept. Because of their varying sizes and weights, the transportation of steel sheets is a complex task. Ruukki has the logistics capability to meet customer needs and can respond flexibly to Meiller’s requirements. Ruukki supplies the steel sheets in the sizes and shapes that Meiller needs – and on time - enabling the company to meet even short-notice requests without a problem. Ruukki also pre-processes its steel sheets and undertakes cutting and preliminary edging.
Achieving common goals
For many years, Ruukki has been a major supplier of steel sheets to Meiller and a reliable business partner. As a result of their long relationship and continual process optimisation, Meiller has been able to maintain the quality of its products at a high level and to even improve them. The two firms also combine to develop new products. Through its intensive cooperation with Ruukki, Meiller has been able to consolidate its leading market position as a supplier of high-quality tipper bodies.
Uwe Meißner, Head of Technology and Production at F.X. Meiller says: "We set high standards when it comes to quality and innovation. Ruukki meets all these standards and has for many years been a highly-valued partner for the supply of wear-resistant steel. We are very satisfied with our collaboration with Ruukki and will continue to work closely with Ruukki in the future."