Streamlining Spraydown’s Aero Guard System Through Innovative Extrusion Design
The Challenge
Spraydown is an advanced aero guard system designed to improve fuel efficiency and road safety in the heavy-duty trucking industry. By redirecting water downward and away from vehicle surfaces, the system enhances visibility for drivers while improving aerodynamic performance—delivering fuel savings of 1–3% per vehicle.
However, the original Spraydown design presented significant manufacturing inefficiencies. Each unit required approximately 150 individual components, including numerous spacers that had to be manually assembled between vanes to maintain consistent separation. This complex process resulted in long assembly times, high labor costs, and increased unit weight, limiting the product’s scalability and profitability.
The Solution
The Engineered Profiles engineering team collaborated closely with Spraydown to reimagine the extrusion design for optimal performance and manufacturability. Our engineers developed a custom notched pin system that eliminated the need for separate spacers.
Simplify before you scale.
By reducing part count and streamlining assembly, you can cut costs, improve efficiency, and bring innovative designs to market faster.
Using advanced inline punching technology, we introduced precision “football-shaped” holes within the extruded profile. The notched pins could then be twisted and locked directly into place—securely holding the vanes without additional components.
This design innovation reduced the total part count from 150 to just 30, significantly cutting assembly time, material use, and overall production cost, while also reducing the system’s total weight for improved fuel efficiency.
The Result
The redesigned Spraydown system earned an industry award for product innovation and successfully reshored manufacturing from China to the United States. The simplified, high-efficiency design delivered measurable improvements in production lead time, cost savings, and long-term product reliability.
Today, Spraydown aero guards featuring Engineered Profiles’ extrusion technology are installed on tractor-trailers across the United States and Europe, helping fleet operators achieve better performance, sustainability, and safety outcomes.
