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A tentative upswing in vehicle orders, coupled with some new applications for aluminum, has sparked suppliers' hopes for heftier shipments to the truck and trailer market.

In the small truck market, where sales are tracked monthly, pickup truck and van sales rose during the first five months of this year, pacing the passenger car market. V

Through the end of May, Ford's F-series pickup sales were 14 percent ahead of the same period a year ago at 169,900 units. Also running slightly ahead of last year's rate were Chevrolet C/K pickups, of which 169,906 were sold during the five months.

But the primary demand for aluminum in trucks and trailers comes from the larger vehicles. For aluminum suppliers, there also seems to be good new there.

Ron McClure, sales and marketing manager for Kaiser Aluminum's extrusion business, saw similar improvement in demand for aluminum in larger trucks, including Class 8 tractor-trailers.

He cited figures indicating production of 126,000 trailers in 1991. Projections call for a 14 percent increase to 144,600 units this year, to be followed by another hike in 1993 to 169,000 units.

"For the early months of this year those forecasts seem to be holding true," McClure said.

Mike McGroarty, vice president of sales and marketing for Kaiser's Forging & Castings division, called attention to similar figures. During 1991, less than 100,000 Class 7 and 8 trucks were registered, he noted. "We think registrations will increase about 15 percent during 1992," he said. "We expect this (growth) to continue through all of 1993.

"This increase will be brought about not only by demand for replacement of older trucks, but also by new truck emission standards which will go into effect in 1994. A lot of fleets and owner-operators will purchase vehicles to beat this deadline and get a lower-priced truck without a lot of the anti-pollution equipment needed to meet the new standards."

McGroarty and Richard Hayes, forging and castings transportation sales manager at Kaiser Aluminum, cited some of the specific applications for aluminum from their division:

* Heavy truck suspension brackets.

* Lightweight forged aluminum front and rear truck hubs. During the past two or three years those hubs have been lightened considerably. Kaiser also supplies truck hubs meeting the standards of the International Standards Organization, just catching on in the United States.

* Aluminum wheels for heavy trucks.

* Blocks, heads and manifolds. Aluminum has won acceptance in passenger car power train applications, and is now moving into heavy trucks.

Marc Czachorski, transportation marketing manager for Reynolds Metals Co.'s extrusion division, cited industry-wide figures for 1991 showing 48 million pounds of aluminum extrusion shipped for truck production and 166 million for truck trailer manufacturing.

Bob Kazmier, transportation marketing manager for mill products at Reynolds Metals, added some figures on shipments from aluminum mills. Those statistics, also industry-wide for 1991, indicate that 92 million pounds were used for truck and bus manufacture and 128 million pounds for semi-trailers.

Tony Gosse, president of Lockhart Aluminum in Pittsburgh, said that sales to the truck and trailer market during the first half of 1992 -- particularly truck bodies for hauling coal, gravel, sand and other bulk materials -- were "a bit spotty or patchy, but I think it is perhaps picking up slightly.

"Our business is made up of a large number of smaller companies," Gosse said. "Some are having good times, some are not. Generally, I think the trend is improving a little bit."

Overall, transportation -- including cars and truck -- represents Kaiser Aluminum's biggest single market, McClure said. The dominant alloy is 6061, accounting for approximately 90 percent of shipments, with some 6063 used in cosmetic applications.

Series 5000 allow is used for cab fenders, hoods, roofs and doors, and in fuel tanks. Series 30003 is used in decorative applications. Specific aluminum components in trailers -- both dry freight and flatbeds -- include top and bottom rails sold in lengths of 28 to 56 feet The typical length is 40 to 48 feet.

Other uses include flooring, side posts, exterior skins and cross members.

Aluminum is employed in cabs for both structural and accessory applications, as well as cosmetic touches. Examples are steps, grab-handle brackets and mirror supports.

Aluminum drive shafts were recently introduced on light trucks, such as pickups. Now that idea is being looked at for possible use in larger trucks as well. The concept of an aluminum spaceframe is also being explored for trucks as well as passenger cars.

# posted by Medical Information : 3:05 AM