Wabash Composites, a division of Wabash National Corp. has produced its 100,000th DuraPlate AeroSkirt in just under five years of manufacturing the product.
Wabash National developed the DuraPlate AeroSkirt in 2009. The product improves fuel economy by up to 6% and provides a low total cost of ownership for fleet owners, Wabash said.
“This week our company reached a noteworthy milestone,” said James Scarcelli, vice president and general manager, Wabash Composites. “Achieving this milestone in fewer than five years is further evidence of our leadership in trailer aerodynamics and reflects how this expertise translates into aerodynamic products that provide the greatest combination of durability and fuel efficiency.”
The skirt’s structural composite material, DuraPlate, consists of two external steel skins thermally bonded to a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) core, for superior strength that resists damage. A proprietary spring-bracket design allows for inboard and outboard deflection, to further resist potential impact damage, leading to longer service life.
The DuraPlate AeroSkirt, originally designed for truckload applications, is also available for less-than-truckload and tank applications. In field tests, it reduced fuel consumption up to 5% in less-than-truckload carriers and up to 7% in tank trailers.
