Austempered Ductile Iron was first commercially applied in 1972. By the mid 1970's it had found its way into Chinese Military trucks and into commercial truck applications in Europe. By 1978, austempered ductile iron had been applied to light cars and trucks in the US. Today, it is estimated that over 50,000 tons per year of austempered ductile iron components are installed in cars and trucks worldwide. That production appears to be growing at a rate of exceeding 10% per year. As a family of materials, austempered ductile iron capably addresses the issues of weight, strength, stiffness, noise, cost and recyclability. From the first differential gear sets installed by General Motors in 1978, to lightweight truck-trailer wheel hubs, to high performance automobile suspensions, austempered ductile iron has found itself in many unique applications. This paper will review those applications, the reason(s) for the conversions, and the performance of those components.
In the increasingly competitive trucking industry, operators are continually seeking ways to haul higher volume and/or heavier loads to maintain profitability. Cross-continent shipments in Australia offer unique performance challenges to the box, frame, axles and suspension.Independent suspensions on large over-the-road box trailers can allow flat floors and increased cargo space. This paper chronicles the development of a unique suspension system that utilizes a complex ADI casting to survive the rigors of the Australian Outback.The suspension uses a short "stub" axle mounted and suspended at each wheel thus eliminating the need for a full axle running under the box and frame. This "axleless" suspension allows the trailer box to have a flat floor and an additional 20 cubic meters of cargo space. The ADI suspension successfully replaced an earlier system constructed of steel weldments that failed in service. The low cost design, coupled with the increased cargo carrying capacity leads to a short payback on investment and improved profitability for the operator.
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