#trucksubframe

In trucks operating outdoors for extended periods and on complex road conditions, the subframe, as a core load-bearing component, is highly susceptible to corrosion, which directly impacts driving safety and service life. Hot-dip galvanizing is an ideal solution to this problem, providing long-term protection and performance upgrades for the subframe.

What is Hot-dip Galvanizing?

Hot-dip galvanizing is a process in which rigorously treated rust-removing steel is immersed in molten zinc, forming a uniform and dense zinc coating on the steel surface. Unlike ordinary painting or electroplating, hot-dip galvanizing has extremely strong adhesion to the substrate. Through a combination of physical isolation and electrochemical protection, it effectively resists corrosion from moisture, rain, snow, and acidic or alkaline media. It is currently a mature and widely used technology in the field of metal corrosion protection, offering excellent cost-effectiveness.

TOPOLO Subframe Kits

Core Advantages Enhance Product Reliability

High-Strength Materials

The subframe is constructed from Q355/Q460 grade high-strength steel profiles. This type of steel undergoes professional heat treatment optimization, resulting in excellent overall load-bearing capacity and deformation resistance, with a yield strength of 355MPa and above.

Long-Lasting Weather Resistance

All components undergo comprehensive hot-dip galvanizing, with the coating thickness strictly controlled to 85μm and above, far exceeding industry standards. This hot-dip galvanized layer effectively resists corrosion in complex outdoor environments (including coastal high-salt spray, humid and rainy conditions, and industrial dust), achieving outdoor weather resistance of 15-20 years, significantly extending the subframe’s service life.

Structural Reliability

The subframe adopts a modular component design, allowing core components such as longitudinal beams and crossbeams to be combined as needed. Key connection points are equipped with bolt-locking devices and reinforced fasteners based on actual load-bearing requirements, ensuring not only connection strength and stability but also enabling efficient and convenient assembly and disassembly.

Flexible Adaptability to Different Chassis

The longitudinal beam spacing can be precisely adjusted within a certain range. This design is widely applicable to various vehicle platforms, significantly improving the versatility and adaptability of the subframe under different transportation conditions and chassis specifications.

The subframe is the core connecting the chassis main frame and the refrigerator box. It not only bears the weight of the refrigerator box, but also absorbs the impact of road bumps. If the subframe of the refrigerated truck is not well fixed to the refrigerated box, the refrigerated box will easily move during sudden braking or bumpy conditions.

Refrigerated Truck Subframe Materials

Currently, the mainstream options are galvanized steel stamping and aluminum alloy extrusions. Each has its own advantages and suits different application requirements.

Galvanized Steel Stamping: A Cost-Effective and Durable Choice

The subframe’s longitudinal and transverse beams are manufactured using a stamping process using hot-dip galvanized steel sheets (zinc layer thickness ≥ 80μm). The hot-dip galvanizing layer forms a dense zinc-iron alloy layer on the steel surface, effectively resisting corrosion from moisture, condensation, and road mud during cold chain transportation, preventing rust.

Aluminum Alloy Structure: A Lightweight and Efficient Choice

Using 6061 or 5083 aluminum alloy for the subframe, it’s 40%-50% lighter than a galvanized steel subframe of the same size. Aluminum alloy naturally forms an oxide film (Al₂O₃) on its surface, protecting it from corrosion in high-humidity environments without the need for additional galvanizing. Its smooth, easy-to-clean surface prevents rust from causing joints to seize, minimizing maintenance costs (rust removal and maintenance are virtually unnecessary). However, aluminum alloy has lower tensile strength than galvanized steel.

Adjustable Structural Design

During the production and modification process of refrigerated trucks, chassis parameters such as wheelbase, crossmember spacing, and frame width vary significantly between different brands and models. To improve production efficiency and reduce costs, refrigerated truck bodies are typically produced using standardized dimensions (such as 4.2 meters, 6.8 meters, and 9.6 meters). If the subframe used a fixed structure, a new mold would need to be customized for each chassis, which not only increases production cycle time but also significantly increases manufacturing costs. The emergence of adjustable structural design allows for flexible adjustment of the spacing between the subframe crossmembers, achieving “one frame to adapt to multiple chassis.”