Cool running

With its new generation of Cool Liner, Krone Trailer is presenting a consistently refined version of its proven refrigerated semi-trailer.

The focus of the current iteration is on detailed design optimisations in the insulated structure, complemented by further increased structural stability as well as improvements in tightness, durability and economy.

Krone has achieved these goals while maintaining the same high level of flexibility in temperature-controlled transport.

The new generation builds on the established Cool Liner concept, which is already renowned for efficient and versatile refrigerated logistics solutions – including fully electric refrigeration concepts, multi-temperature equipment and intelligent telematics solutions. The aim of the further development is to enhance the substance of the vehicle in key areas and to further optimise life cycle costs.

‘With the new Cool Liner generation, we deliberately did not aim for a revolution, but rather further developed the design details where they make the biggest difference in everyday use,” said Krone Cool Liner product expert, Frank Nordhoff.

“Our aim was to further increase stability, robustness and value retention, while at the same time optimising cost-effectiveness over the entire life cycle. The result is a vehicle that is even more reliable in the tough everyday world of refrigerated transport.”

Insulated body
The side walls and roof continue to be manufactured as large panels using an open foaming process. The homogeneous foam structure ensures an optimum ‘K value’, therefore providing stable temperature control over the entire service life. The inner deck layer of the side wall has been redesigned at the transition to the roof and in the highly stressed area at the floor interface. This increases structural stability, especially during intensive loading and unloading.

The base skirting has also been redesigned. An optimised cross-section increases resistance to mechanical impact from industrial trucks and at the same time improves the seal against moisture. Adapted edging profiles on the outside support an optimised bonding process and contribute to a further increase in overall stability.

Reinforced rear frame
In the rear area, detailed, locally reinforced sections and reinforced door hinge blocks now significantly reduce stress peaks, especially in the sensitive corner areas. New plastic inserts improve insulation and sealing and support the rear frame floor profile during high-frequency forklift traffic.

A new design in the lower corner area of the rear frame enables permanent sealing to the side wall. At the same time, the sealing joint in the wet area of the floor has been eliminated by design. This has resulted in increased long-term tightness and a noticeable contribution to value retention.

New floor design
The floor continues to be manufactured as a large panel using an injection moulding process and offers maximum load-bearing capacity thanks to its homogeneous foam structure, further increasing structural integrity and performance of the product. The clean lines of the design also ensure optimised use and maintenance for operators.

In addition to a completely revised King Pin module, a reinforced floor design is available as an option at the front for increased requirements. For intermodal applications, a RoRo module is available that significantly increases strength in the ferry block position.

Newly designed floor edge strips with high structural density minimise the risk of moisture absorption and ensure long-term durability. A newly designed cable duct and sealing concept in the neck area also enables the safe integration of optional cable packages.

Extensive testing
In addition to extensive analytical support, the design revisions were validated by numerous tests at Krone’s own test centre in Lingen, north-west Germany, where the detailed optimised radiator had to prove its resilience in demanding test programs over a period of several months.

For the first time, the entire vehicle was validated on specially designed test benches against a wide range of requirement profiles for highly developed truck test tracks and against evaluation vehicles.

Robust Cool Liner
The result of the review, reconfiguration and demanding testing of the Cool Liner series is a refrigerated semi-trailer that consistently builds on its proven strengths in insulation performance, stability and versatility and has been further optimised in key technical details.

As a result, the new-look Cool Liner is ready for maximum efficiency in national and international refrigerated transport.