1:37 AM
Serco’s gold certificate win in the Innovation Awards competition held during
the recent 2019 Automechanika Trade Fair in Johannesburg is a reward for the
company’s determination to give its customers the edge by continually raising
the standard of its refrigerated vehicle bodies in line with international
benchmarks.
This
is according to CEO of Serco Clinton Holcroft who says the company’s mission
has been to set the local benchmark in refrigerated bodies after identifying
that the thermal performance of units had not previously been measurable in
South Africa.
Holcroft
said tangible benefits of their Protec Steel Frostliner trailers included
reducing fuel consumption and wear and tear on the fridge, reducing carbon
impact on the environment and - through thermal efficiency - improving product
shelf life and reducing load loss.
Announcing
that Serco had won gold for its refrigerated vehicle – the first trailer in
South Africa to achieve SABS approval for meeting standards related to the
transport of frozen and fresh food - the Automechanika judges said the Protec
Steel unit built at Serco’s Durban factory was of “top class quality”.
The
judges were impressed by techniques used in the manufacture of the trailer and
the types of insulation materials used. They said the vehicle’s thermal
efficiency helped reduce the amount of diesel needed to run the fridge
elevating its environmental friendliness.
Said
Holcroft: “The journey started with the investment in a state-of-the-art panel
injection press at our factory in Durban’s Phoenix Industrial Park and included
a critical analysis of the design and construction of our vehicle bodies to
ensure they adhered to international benchmarks.
“By
introducing a measurable cold chain factor for our bodies, we were able to
ensure a more efficient product which results in an increase in thermal
performance.”
The
thermal test at the South African Bureau of Standards enables Serco to measure
its vehicle body performance against an international standard in a process
that involves stringent testing with specialised equipment in a purpose-built
test chamber to determine the K-Value of the body.
“In
these tough trading conditions, customers want peace of mind that they are
buying a refrigerated vehicle that is internationally certified, tried and
tested, and giving tangible benefits. That is exactly what they get in Protec
Steel Frostliners,’’ said Holcroft.
“People
in the industry are impressed by the finish of the trailers’ coated steel
panels and the injected foam technique used in their manufacture which produces
an improvement in thermal performance of up to a 40% over alternatives on the
market.”
Customers
also like the rice grain aluminium floor which has proved to be a durable, high
wearing feature.
Other highlights include fully welded aluminium scuffs which
create a durable, waterproof and high strength structure; and new door seals
made of extended rubber material, which provide an excellent thermal bridge
preventing the leakage of cold air. A further advantage is that repair costs
to the vehicles are relatively low.
Serco
also offers remote temperature monitoring solutions in which multi-temperature
bodies are supplied making it possible for different products to be transported
in the same vehicles at different temperatures using moveable partitions to
separate the zones.
Captions:
Pictured receiving the gold award in for Innovation at
the 2019 Automechanika Trade Fair in Johannesburg are from left to right: Trevor Holcroft Chairman, Clinton Holcroft Chief Executive Officer
and Charl Coetzee Managing Director of Serco (Pty) Ltd
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