Ashland Distribution, a division of Ashland Inc., recently took delivery of 40 new International TranStar Series regional haul tractors with a very special feature: engine hoods made from Ashland's own lighter-weight AROTRAN 720 low-density sheet molding compound (SMC) resin.
“Every year we purchase a number of heavy trucks to keep our fleet up-to-date,” said Kevin Dinan, fleet manager for Ashland. “These trucks meet our needs extremely well and feature parts that are made from Ashland products.” Each year Ashland replaces about 10 percent of the more than 400 tractors in its fleet.
The truck hoods were produced using AROTRAN 720 resin by CORE Molding Technologies Inc. of Columbus OH. CORE Molding produces fiberglass-reinforced plastics (FRP) parts and SMC.
The AROTRAN 720 resin formula uses patented nanoclay technology to save approximately 21 pounds when compared with standard composite truck hoods.