A novelty in the world of trailers.

Hapert, 13-06-2022

Old-fashioned wood floors are making strides.

HAPERT – Even a trailer has to move with the times. With a recyclable composite floor, Wagenbouw Hapert is taking an important step toward a sustainable trailer.

Constructed like a lasagna, from several layers of fiberglass and polypropylene. Light weight yet strong. Hapert Trailers’ composite floor is a novelty in the industry.

In aircraft, boats, buses and trailers, the plastic material has been used for some time. The Hapert-based market leader in trailers in the Netherlands also considers the time ripe. ”We started thinking more sustainably. As do our customers such as contractors and landscapers,” says director Ad Keeris.

Sustainability is a hot topic across the transportation sector, according to Keeris. ”In time, therefore, the wooden floor will have to give way to composite. Wood is a wonderful material however composite is twice as light, longer lasting, more durable and is easily recyclable.”

Currently, wood is mostly used which is composed of glue and a plastic or chemical top layer. By contrast, the composite material’s composition has the advantage of being simpler and fully recyclable, says Lenard Kuklewski, who is responsible for the supply chain at the company. ,,From this composite, after grinding by injection molding, plastic products such as plastic caps, for example, can be made. This floor is also impervious to weather and temperature changes, and the top layer is easy to repair. The trailer can last a lifetime.”

The composite floor, according to the Hapert builder’s specifications, is produced locally by Compoform, whose new factory is located in Ospel. They have set up a special, approximately seventy-meter-long production line for these floors.

The first cars with the new floor have been assembled in Hapert. In July, series production of the floors for the first hundreds of cars will begin in Ospel. The builder does not expect to celebrate an immediate blockbuster. The traditionally minded industry will take some getting used to. ”We are going to offer the composite floor optionally. We are not completely moving away from wood yet. We want the market to get a taste of this product and experience its benefits,” Kuklewski explains.

He is convinced that with the composite floor, the buyer will be cheaper in the end. The trailer becomes a few percent more expensive to purchase, but this is offset by the long life and lower fuel costs. ”The wooden material weighs 10 to 15 pounds per square meter, the composite weighs four to six pounds. The use of composite material can make an enclosed trailer about 250 kilograms lighter in total and a tipper with a steel floor about 120 kilograms lighter.” With a lighter trailer, you can drive more economically and also generate fewer emissions.

The extra reinforced top layer makes the floor super strong and could also lead to a lighter construction of the car. “Possibly, because of the properties and strength of the floor, we may not need to use as much supporting steel.”

For the 100 or so employees, the composite floor is a prelude to more anyway, director Keeris makes clear. Testing is already underway to see if composite can also be used for the wagon walls.

The various current challenges in the supply of traditional materials such as steel, wood and plastic add to the search for alternative, sustainable solutions.

Wagenbouw Hapert is also looking to find as many sustainable suppliers as possible. ”We are also already deploying aluminum from a supplier that uses only electricity from renewable sources in its production. This involves using the energy from its own hydroelectric plant, for example. We would like to produce the most sustainable cars. Composite flooring is a long-term investment. Ultimately, that will result in further growth of the company.”