Significant petrol savings, longer service life, lighter tare weight and reduced maintenance costs are just a few features of Australia’s first stainless steel bus.
Two prototype buses with grade 304 stainless steel body shells are being manufactured by Gold Coast-based company, Bus Tech Pty Ltd for Volvo Australia. Stainless steel buses are used extensively in Europe and the United States of America to guard against corrosion caused by icy, salted roads. Corrosion of buses is also a problem in Australia with vehicles subject to regular frame inspections and refurbishment costs. Corrosion in buses results not only from exposure to marine environments, but also from humidity and condensation and recycled water used for cleaning. Bus Tech Manager, Frank Reardon, said the stainless steel bus had many advantages including corrosion resistance, reduced maintenance and operating costs. A 700 kilogram reduction in tare weight of the bus has been achieved by using stainless steel, resulting in a $2 per kilometre saving in petrol and the ability for each vehicle to carry an additional nine passengers. A 15 percent reduction in production time has also been a feature of the stainless steel bus project. Each bus is being constructed from 200 metres of square hollow sections (SHS) and 600 kilograms of stainless steel sheet, all grade 304 with a 2B finish. The exterior and interior skins of the buses are attached to the stainless steel shell with a polyurethane adhesive, providing a bond line to keep out water and dust.
Fabrication of the stainless steel components was undertaken by Brisbane fabricators Metal Tech Industries and BJR Metal Rolling & Pressing, then delivered to Bus Tech for assembly.
