EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
New standards
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in vehicle
thermal efficiency
By John Ackermann
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The new Frostliner refrigerated trailer showcased
at the Futureroad Expo raised the bar of thermal
efficiency of South African road vehicles.
E
ntirely of South African design and
manufacture, the refrigerated Frostliner,
a semi-trailer of maximum legal length,
attracted a large audience of industry
role players to Serco’s extravaganza on 29
September 2017 at the Futureroad Expo
held at Nasrec, Johannesburg.
Panels on the Frostliner are
manufactured using steel facings.
Customised machinery, designed
specifically for the new process, includes
a de-coiler for the steel sheets and a
clinching machine to join the coated steel
facings into a single, full-length sheet.
These sheets, which are up to 15.5m in
length, are then lifted using a spreader
crane with suction cups, and transferred
into the 900-ton panel press. A state-of-
the-art system then mixes the Polycol
and Isocyanate with an environmentally
friendly blowing agent to create high-
density polyurethane foam, which is
injected into the panel.
Extensive testing has revealed noticeable
improvements in thermal performance and
panel strength in the Frostliner.
More than 50 Frostliners have rolled
out of Serco’s expanded factory site in
Durban since early 2017.
Other Serco initiatives and new
technology in line with the ‘smart trailer’
concept were also on show at the
Futureroad Expo, including park distance
control, and electronic braking and
temperature monitoring systems.
The Futureroad Expo has replaced the
Johannesburg Truck and Bus Show and
aims to be a leading professional event for
sub-Saharan Africa’s truck, bus, and trailer
industry. CLA
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1. A view from the top: the Serco exhibition at the Futureroad Expo.
2. Serco founder Trevor Holcroft (third left) and his team inside the truck at the expo.
3. From left: Clinton Holcroft, Jaap Heinsius, Trevor Holcroft, and Travis Piek.
COLD LINK AFRICA • January | February 2018
www.coldlinkafrica.co.za
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