The role of FUPS in Trucks
Front Underrun Protection Systems play a vital role in passenger safety for both trucks and other vehicles on the road. Attached to the bumper system or chassis of the truck cabin, the FUPS is a series of extruded profiles formed into a component to absorb energy from impacts such as crashes, and help prevent passenger cars from being pulled under the cabin of the truck. The systems are required by law in many countries for trucks and research suggests they may prevent fatalities in truck-based collisions by about 12%.
Why use aluminium extrusions for FUPS?
As well as the safety critical features, truck designers also have many other criteria to meet including durability, weight savings and overall cost. Utilizing the high strength and durability of aluminium extrusions allows for safety criteria to be adhered to as well as less overall material being used in FUPS, meaning lighter component and vehicle weight as well as a cost reduction in the build phase.
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From profile to final product
Our extensive production network allows us to produce FUPS and other structural components from the initial extrusion through to the final product with in-house bending, machining, and assembly.
Extrusion
Our state-of-the-art extrusion facilities including automotive dedicated 12” presses are able to produce bespoke design profiles in a wide range of sizes and alloys.
Bending and forming
The extruded profiles are then formed to the desired shape with one of our in-house bending services including roll forming, stretch bending and rotary draw bending.
CNC Machining
Within our automated production cells that are custom built to each project, we can offer CNC machining and punching in both 5 axis and 4 axis machines for lengths up to 12.2 meters.
Assembly and packing
Finally, we can assemble all parts in-house for the final component using the design specified fixings with bespoke built packaging solutions.
Accelerate decarbonization with Hydro aluminium
Hydro is committed to continually developing low-CO2, high performance solutions for the automotive industry. Our development programs and teams operate both internally and within automotive partnerships, to support but also help develop OEM ambitions while meeting industry-specific safety regulations. This is part of our automotive DNA.
Updated: May 28, 2024