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Articles | Lightweight Composite Panel Part I |
Lightweight Composite Panel Part II |
Western Star Sleepers
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Western Star Sleepers Continue to Be Built in Canada
It’s common knowledge Freightliner LLC has begun producing Western Star
tractors at its Portland anufacturing plant, but a very important
component of those trucks continues to be built right here in Western
Canada.
Canadian Commercial Vehicles (CCV) is responsible for building each and
every Western Star sleeper box, using an advanced, lightweight honeycomb
panel construction which the company says is lighter, more durable and
quieter than sleeper boxes made of traditional materials.
Edison Reis, engineering and quality assurance manager with CCV, says the
sleeper boxes built at the company’s Kelowna manufacturing plant are about
850 lbs lighter than other sleepers on the market.
The company is currently building about 12 per day which are then shipped
to Portland to be added to the truck. |
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LIGHTWEIGHT: CCV continues building Western Star sleepers
at its Kelowna, B.C. plant. They are about 850 lbs lighter than some
other sleepers. Western Star sleepers continue to be built in Canada
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When the sleeper boxes leave CCV’s Kelowna plant, they are equipped with
only a bunk base – the upholstery, cabinets and other creature comfort items
are all added in Portland. The primary advantage of the honeycomb panel
construction (which was originally designed by Western Star itself) is
obviously the weight savings, which allows owner/operators or fleets to save
fuel and increase payload.
“We don’t have fasteners like nuts and bolts or welds and that’s what helps
us make it so light,” explains Reis, noting glue is used to attach the
pieces providing a seamless finish and stronger uniform surface stability.
He is quick to add the durability is not compromised, but enhanced.
The honeycomb sandwich panels are also used in the floors of Western Star
cabs and the rear walls on the company’s daycabs to protect against outside
temperatures and noise.
“Using the honeycomb composite that we have within the panel, we have better
soundproofing and the insulation factor is also higher so it’s quieter
inside,” says Reis.
Some truckers have reported being able to idle less than with trucks
equipped with traditional sleeper boxes, since the boxes better retain heat
in the winter and coolness in the summer. Since Western Star production was
moved to Portland, each of the
sleeper boxes has had to be trucked substantially further than when the
company and CCV were neighbours in Kelowna, but Western Star is still
pleased with the service they’ve received in their fouryear relationship.
“CCV has been building sleeper compartments for our trucks that are an
integral part of our air suspended cabs. We demand
the tightest of tolerances and their quality work is second to none,” says
J. Tomlinson of Western Star Trucks. “As the
quality assurance engineer responsible for CCV, I found their production
processes and staff could react very quickly to any concern we had. People
were dispatched to the factory quickly and without question when we
identified a concern. This allowed us to have a seamless start up with a new
supplier for a critical piece of our product.”
In fact, Reis says Western Star has found the quality of the work CCV has
delivered to be more than 80 per cent better than its previous, U.S.- based
supplier. Now, CCV is beginning to get some recognition outside the trucking
industry. The company
has been nominated for a 2004 B.C. Export Award and a Kelowna Chamber of
Commerce Business Excellence Award.
CCV was also a top-three finalist for the Okanagan Science and Technology
Council’s recent Most Promising Emerging Technology Company of the Year
Award.
The company has also seen sales figures jump 107 per cent from 2002 to 2003,
now amounting to more than $7.3 million.
For more information about CCV, visit www.ccvbc.com.
by James Menzies
Article from Truck News West Magazine
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