With manufacturers using upcoming emissions regulation as a window of opportunity to develop the next generation of heavy goods vehicles, leading provider of engineered access products Southco is bringing expertise honed in the automotive industry to offer a one-stop-shop solution for key touch points both inside and outside the cab.
Through its years of experience working within the truck industry, Southco has identified at least 16 key points on the average truck where an access product is required. These range from internal applications such as instrument panel, glove box and storage areas to external points such as under body noise reduction panels, tool box or storage bin, engine and wheel covers. Across the whole spectrum, functionality is the key requirement and traditionally truck manufacturers have opted for proven off-the-shelf products to meet these practical needs. However, as truck design, particularly interiors, moves closer to its automotive counterpart, more functionality, aesthetics and the whole look and feel, have become a much higher priority.
Dennis Estes, Industry Marketing Manager for Transportation comments: “As trucks get bigger and drivers spend more time virtually living in them, designers are having to pay more attention to issues such as driver comfort and the ergonomics of the living area. Like the car interior, the cab is required to have a design coherence that flows through all of the components. We have been working with manufacturers and tier 1 suppliers in the automotive industry for over 40 years and the expertise our automotive team has developed in providing integrated design solutions in that industry is entirely relevant to the truck market.”
With recent acquisitions, Southco has positioned itself as a one-stop-shop offering a ‘best in class’ service for everything in access hardware. An example is the company’s acquisition of the Dzus brand which considerably broadened its range of quarter-turn quick access/quick release products which offer advantages to both OEM and end user. Already proven in the automotive sector are the benefits of quick access fasteners for speeding up manufacture, reducing service times and reducing total life cycle costs.
Although the initial price of a quick access fastener is higher, it facilitates rapid and easy installation on the assembly line and subsequent fast-action for servicing. In applications such as noise reduction panels, which are appearing on a growing number of truck models, the quarter-turn quick access fastener offers a cost-effective alternative to the traditional threaded fastener. Although representing a lower purchase price, threaded fasteners have a downstream financial impact in terms of service charges for time and labour during maintenance – they are cheap to buy but expensive to service purely because of the time it takes to lock and unlock the system. As well as fulfilling the requirement for fast easy installation on the production line and fast access for servicing, the Dzus quick access fasteners also offer positive locking and resistance to releasing through vibration.
The company’s range of access hardware resources was further broadened by its acquisition of CEMA Technologies, a world leader in positioning control technology. The CEMA portfolio of friction hinges, bistable devices, dampeners and custom-engineered modules has added a further dimension to Southco’s capabilities in delivering solutions where smooth positioning control will increase the quality perception of your vehicle.
Southco’s single source offerng has a number of key advantages as manufacturers work to comply with the introduction of the emissions regulation. Dennis Estes: “It’s a long-established principle with OEMs that design problems are handed down the supply chain and suppliers work closely with the design teams to build-in the most effective solution from the outset. The advantage of working with a supply partner that offers a single source solution is that it is possible to achieve cost savings by consolidating suppliers without any risk of reducing either service levels or product choice.
“The single source option becomes even more relevant when designers are looking at product integration to achieve style differentiation. We have seen this already in the automotive and marine industries, where we have worked with manufacturers to develop bespoke solutions which meet manufacturers required themes.”
Although aesthetics have become more significant in truck cab design, Southco is quick to point out that product integration goes further than simply the overall look. A single key solution, with a range of high-security locks throughout the vehicle being accessed with one key, is increasingly desirable. Dennis Estes continues: “What we are offering is a combination of style, operation and functionality with an automotive team already well experienced in working with manufacturers at an early stage in the design process."