Co-Bolt®
The Co-Bolt® aluminium system is that rare example of technology with the power to transform an industry. It allows Volgren to create a genuine alternative to the traditional steel bus – a vehicle with a longer working life, shorter downtime and less need for repair. A vehicle that is lighter, stronger and safer.
Since 1977, we’ve used this Swiss technology to manufacture Volgren bus bodies. It’s one of the fundamental components of our manufacturing success.
Why Aluminium?
Aluminium is lightweight, corrosion-resistant and requires no protective coatings. A bus made of aluminium has a longer working life and tends to have less downtime, reducing an operator’s need for spare vehicles.
Aluminium can also be extruded into complex shapes, allowing for intricate design and integrally strong structures, producing buses that are hundreds of kilograms lighter than traditional steel-framed models.
The complex aluminium technology gives us vehicles that are lighter, stronger, safer, easier to repair – and ultimately more cost effective.
How Does it Work?
The Co-Bolt® aluminium extrusion body technique allows us to build our bus bodies using a system of bolted gusseted joints.
Because buses are exposed to continuous vibration and stresses due to dynamic loading, welded joints can fracture and fail. Volgren’s bolted system requires no welding, and results in a much longer joint life.
For operators, that means far superior reliability than a traditional steel bus and is one of the main reasons why we’re able to offer a 15-year warranty on Volgren buses’ aluminium structures.
Co-Bolt® also ensures that, in comparison to traditional buses, Volgren buses:
- Have fewer components – no self-cutting screws or rivets
- Take fewer hours to assemble, and so can be delivered in a timely manner
- Are easier to repair and service
- Are more environmentally friendly –chromate-free screws, aluminium is easily recycled