When it comes to the transportation industry, efficiency and cost-effectiveness are paramount—and finding ways to achieve these goals has undoubtedly become critical for truck and trailer manufacturers. One key solution, roll forming, has become a game-changer when it comes to significantly cutting costs in truck/trailer production. Continue reading to find out how.

1. Weight Reduction and Durability

One of the primary cost-saving advantages of roll forming lies in its ability to work with high-strength steel and thinner gauges, effectively reducing the weight of components without compromising strength or structural integrity. In the transportation industry, where fuel efficiency and payload capacity are critical, every pound saved translates to tangible cost savings.
 
Roll forming excels at shaping materials with high strength, enabling the production of lightweight yet robust components. This benefit is particularly advantageous when manufacturing transportation components for chassis, structural supports, and body panels. The shift towards thinner gauges further contributes to weight reduction, making vehicles more fuel-efficient while maintaining the necessary strength and durability standards the industry requires.

2. Integrated Inline Operations

Roll forming's efficiency extends beyond material considerations, as it seamlessly integrates inline operations to further reduce costs. Roll forming incorporates part features, such as holes, directly into the shaping process. This approach eliminates the need for additional operations such as punching, drilling, or cutting, as well as reduces production time and costs. This functionality is especially beneficial for high-volume manufacturing where streamlining operations is crucial.
 
Moreover, roll forming can facilitate inline welding, a significant advantage in the transportation industry. By welding components during the forming process, manufacturers can eliminate the need for secondary welding operations, saving both time and resources. The precision and consistency achieved through inline welding contribute to the overall quality of the components, meeting—and even exceeding—industry standards.

3. High-Volume Production

Roll forming stands out as a cost-effective solution, particularly for higher volumes and parts of varying lengths, when compared to traditional methods like press brake. Traditional methods often involve time-consuming setup changes and are less efficient when dealing with complex profiles or long production runs. Roll forming, on the other hand, excels in handling large volumes and diverse part lengths with minimal setup time.
 
The continuous and automated nature of roll forming reduces downtime and increases production throughput, resulting in economies of scale that significantly benefit manufacturers and their customers. This efficiency cuts down on production costs and ensures a more consistent and reliable supply of components.

4. Enhanced Product Quality

For more sophisticated production needs, integrated roll forming with automation takes cost reduction to the next level. This approach involves manufacturing roll form shapes and then using automated weld cells to produce welded components or assemblies. These integrated processes allow manufacturers to eliminate secondary operations, reduce manual labor requirements, and achieve higher levels of precision.
 
The automation of roll forming and welding processes reduces production costs and enhances overall product quality. The consistency achieved through automated processes contributes to the reliability and durability of transportation components, meeting the stringent requirements of the industry while also reducing waste.

5. Streamlined Supply Chains

Roll forming's ability to produce components with minimal secondary operations reduces the complexity of the supply chain. Manufacturers can streamline their processes and reduce dependencies on multiple suppliers for various manufacturing stages.

Simplifying the supply chain can ultimately lead to cost savings by minimizing the logistics and coordination efforts required to produce truck and trailer components.

Automated Your Warehouse Operations for Boosted Efficiency and Revenue

There’s no doubt that roll forming is a cost-effective and efficient solution for the transportation industry—and Hynes Industries can help you take advantage of these unparalleled benefits. We can build components to your specification with material thicknesses that range from .030 inches to .25 inches, and we work with numerous types of ASTM steel alloys, including stainless, HSLA, hot roll, cold roll, galvanized and galvanneal, aluminum, and more. As a recognized leader in truck/trailer fabrication, we can help you design and manufacture OEM shapes to your unique specifications. Fill out the form below so we can get started.