Mack early out of the gate in 2010 diesel engine derby World of Concrete 2009 in early February offered mixer, dump, and other heavy-duty truck model
Mack early out of the gate in 2010 diesel engine derby
World of Concrete 2009 in early February offered mixer, dump, and other heavy-duty truck model operators a preview of diesel engines that meet reduced nitrogen oxide levels the Environmental Protection Agency requires for heavy-duty, on-highway diesel engines beginning next January. The centerpiece of Mack Trucks’ exhibit at the Las Vegas Convention Center was a Granite Axle Forward GU7 dump, with (2007 EPA-compliant) MP7 engine and diesel particulate filter, plus diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) tank and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) catalyst. In choosing the SCR method to meet the EPA’s lower NOx threshold, the manufacturer positioned the DEF tank on the driver’s side adjacent to the fuel tank, while the SCR catalyst is mounted on the opposite side, next to the diesel particulate filter.
The catalyst will draw the DEF (urea) at designated intervals to provide after treatment of exhaust from the diesel particulate filter, bringing the engine into EPA 2010 compliance. In addition to Mack Trucks, Cummins Inc. is using SCR for its next generation of on-highway power. At World of Concrete, it displayed a catalyst that will equip the two engines, ISL9 and ISX11.9, best suited to mixer and dump trucks. The latter engine will replace the ISM. The manufacturer will unveil its 2010-compliant on-highway engine family this month at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
RETROFIT PARTICULATE FILTERS NET OLDER MACKS CALIFORNIA COMPLIANCE
In addition to 2010 engine plans, Mack Trucks has announced retrofit diesel particulate filters (DPF) to help older vehicles meet California’s stringent new emissions requirements. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) aims to improve air quality by reducing particulate matter (PM) emissions from pre-2007 trucks; its new requirements apply to all diesel-powered vehicles exceeding 14,000 lb. gvwr, including out-of-state trucks that operate in California, as well as vehicles based in the state.
Mack’s retrofit DPFs are designed for non-EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) diesel engines sold from 1996 to 2002. Offered in several sizes based upon engine displacement and horsepower, the product is integrated into existing exhaust systems. Each retrofit DPF comes with an installation kit, complete with brackets, engineered for the customer’s specific truck model.
The DPF uses active regeneration to clear accumulated PM from the unit’s filter element. To that end, its heat is raised by injecting a small amount of diesel fuel, typically after eight to 10 hours of truck operation. The DPF system includes an electronic control unit that constantly monitors the filter element to precisely balance PM accumulation and regeneration. Retrofit DPFs using passive and passive/active regeneration technologies are under development for 2002-2006 EGR engines.
CARB projects the use of retrofit DPFs will reduce PM emissions 13 tons a day by 2014. The agency will offer financial assistance and incentives for the purchase and installation of the DPFs. (Preliminary details regarding regulations and financial incentives can be found at http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/onrdiesel/documents.htm.)
Manufactured by diesel-engine exhaust-aftertreatment specialist Huss, LLC, Palm Springs, Calif., the retrofit DPF system comes with a five-year/150,000-mile warranty and can be ordered through any Mack dealer in the U.S. and Canada. Dealer installation is required. www.macktrucks.com
OEM DATA DELIVERY
The RFID Cube allows customers to track and control activity on all equipment, attachments, and tools, the manufacturer reports, eliminating manual paperwork generated by fuel and service truck, fuel station, and delivery truck personnel. Customers can use the RFID Cube separately or in conjunction with other fleet-management tools, such as the Radio Service Tracker, Cellular Service Tracker, Pump Tracker, and GoPOD. The tracking devices can be customized according to needs and priorities for streamlined and wireless data capture at economical cost.
The RFID Cube is a wireless, paperless, and hands-free tool that helps management maximize its staff and material resources, product developers affirm. It prevents theft and dispensing of fuel into unauthorized containers, they add, as it allows precise job costing and invoicing and simplifies regulatory documentation. Reports are generated nightly and delivered via e-mail and secure web reports. Information uploads into any major back office and integrates seamlessly with accounting software, the company notes.
Engineered for construction, aggregate, landfill, rental and other severe-service environments, the RFID Cube has an operating range of -40_C to +70_C. Its program memory is 256K bytes, and the enclosed battery has a three-year service life. Personnel can be fully trained in RFID Cube operation in 10 minutes. Implementation requires only five minutes.
www.oemdd.com
ARVINMERITOR, INC.
Remanufactured brake shoes with PlatinumShield coating provide superior protection against rust-jacking and corrosion, the manufacturer notes. That performance is upheld by a three-year, 300,000-mile warranty against rust-jacking.
The PlatinumShield coating was developed to resist micro-abrasion caused by the movement of the brake lining against the shoe table during normal use. Rust-jacking occurs when rust forms on bare shoe metal under the lining, causing the lining to lift and crack.
The outcome of investment in an improved paint facility at the company’s 275,000-sq.-ft. Plainfield, Ind., remanufacturing plant, the technology incorporates used shoes that are shot-blasted and subjected to a five-stage wash and pretreatment process with iron phosphate before the PlatinumShield coating is applied. In testing to evaluate surface rust after more than 400 hours of exposure to salt and road solvents, remanufactured shoes with PlatinumShield achieved the highest possible ASTM1 scale rating of 10 (less than .01 percent surface rust).
Starting May 2009, PlatinumShield coating will be standard on all Meritor remanufactured production shoes with MA and R prefixes; Meritor MG1, MG2L, MG2, CG, and MET OEM aftermarket shoes; as well as Fras-Le F550, F555, F577, F560, F587, F787T, and Combo shoes. The real benefit to customers is lower overall maintenance costs, the manufacturer affirms, adding that the elimination of premature brake jobs resulting from cracked liners will make appropriately equipped fleets more competitive. To address new truck-trailer brake applications, the PlatinumShield anti-rust jacking coating will be made available to all OEM customers later in 2009.
www.arvinmeritor.com
TRAKITGPS
The latest innovation in the company’s suite of signaling, time and attendance solutions, the Trakit ALL Asset Locating and Logistics module is designed specifically for ready mixed, asphalt and aggregate producers. A complete, satellite-managed global asset-locating system that collects data from remote wireless devices attached to fixed and mobile units, product developers note, it helps users track, secure, and better manage production and hauling hardware. Besides locating available equipment in close proximity to a given address, hotspot, other vehicle or driver, operational personnel and asset managers using TrakitALL are able to search for equipment and vehicles by number, description or notes, thereby enhancing customer service, maximizing asset usage, and reducing fuel costs and theft.
RoHS-compliant, the system meets SAE J1455, MIL STD 810 and NEMA 4X/IP68 standards, making it sufficiently robust to handle extreme terrains and weather conditions. The TrakitALL module can be used as a stand-alone tool or integrated with the TrakitGPS fleet-tracking system.
Included in the system are a remote wireless satellite transmitter, featuring integrated GPS chipset, motion sensor, and sensor inputs, self-powered by two or four off-the-shelf AA batteries (with expected battery life of four-plus years). Each transmitter typically installs in minutes and is easily relocated to another asset as needed.
The TrakitALL transmitter can be user-configured to send GPS sensor information via satellite during a specified time or interval, upon asset movement, or when outside a particular geographical area. An alternate reporting schedule can be set to trigger by integrated motion sensors. The system sends user alerts based on movement Û either distance travelled or specific time frames of interest Û and low battery indications.
www.trakitgps.com
MICHELIN DISPATCHES WIDE TIRE TO ON/OFF ROAD USERS
Michelin Americas Truck Tires recently added to its X One wide single tire line the XZY3, an all-position radial model designed for optimized weight savings and fuel economy in on-/off-road operations. Available in a 445/55R22.5 size, the X One XZY3 tire features long tread life due to a special compound offering high chip and cut resistance. With an original tread depth of 23/32, the tire’s flat and stable contact patch reduces irregular wear owing to Infini-Coil Technology, which features a quarter-of-a-mile of steel cable wrapped circumferentially around the casing to eliminate casing growth, Michelin engineers note.
Enhanced protection from stone drilling is supplied in center grooves by variable pitch walls and groove bottom protectors. The X One XZY3 tire provides a reinforced bead package featuring a wide metallic chafer that leads to bead durability and resistance to heat, which is common in stop/start applications. The aggressive shoulder design delivers what Michelin engineers note is outstanding wet and soft soil traction, while co-extrusion rubber technology ensures cooler on-road operating temperatures at speeds up to 75 mph. www.michelintruck.com
Schwing’s ÎgreenÌ effort combines fuel efficiency, lightweight drum
To kick off a Going Green campaign, whose three-arrow logo carries a globe-orbiting Less Fuel, Less Water, Less Time message, the manufacturer announced last month at World of Concrete in Las Vegas a) a lightweight Schwing-Stetter mixer drum, which coupled with a new Michelin tire spec (shown on truck here; detailed separately in above item) can net ready mixed producers _ yd. more payload per delivery; and, b) results confirming fuel savings with Schwing truck-mounted pumps.
The lightweight drum is fabricated from high-strength steel, representing a weight reduction equivalent to ? yd. of ready mixed compared to the manufacturer’s conventional steel drum. The lighter version is engineered for both payload gain and additional fuel savings through use of companion technologies: Smart Drum, a wireless device for constant drum speed from the plant to the job site; and, a 46-in. opening that affords optimal truck loading in 30 seconds or less, versus about one minute for a drum with a 42-in. opening. An additional 500-plus lbs can be shed from a mixer by specifying a Michelin X One tire, whose availability for the Schwing-Stetter line also was announced in Las Vegas. An X One XZY3 tire replaces dual tires; by Michelin measurements, its decreased roll resistance can improve fuel economy up to 10 percent.
Fuel savings attributable to the new mixer options will be gauged in testing Schwing America has planned this year to compare its trucks against competing models. This follows 2008 testing during which the manufacturer noted 62 percent and 27 percent lower fuel consumption on Schwing 32-meter and 61-meter boom truck models against competitors’ equipment.
www.schwing.com
TRIMBLE, COMMAND ALKON INK DEAL
Designation of Command Alkon Inc. as a Certified Industry Partner of Trimble Mobile Resource Management enables the companies to strengthen joint sales efforts and coordinate implementation of dispatch and truck-tracking software and GPS statusing and asset-tracking products. Trimble solutions incorporate positioning technologies such as GPS, lasers and optics, as well as software content specific to user needs, for applications targeting position or location, including surveying, construction, fleet and asset management. Û www.commandalkon.com
NAVISTAR ADVANCES ALTERNATE COMPLIANCE ROUTE TO EPA 2010
Navistar Inc. provided World of Concrete 2009 attendees an early look at its path to compliance with forthcoming Environmental Protection Agency emissions guidelines for on-highway diesel power: a PayStar 5900i with 2010 Maxxforce 13-liter engine. In contrast to other truck OEM and Cummins Inc., Navistar aims to satisfy 2010 regulations with what it calls Advanced Exhaust Gas Recirculation. The system utilizes advanced high pressure fuel injection and air management, optimized combustion strategy, and proprietary electronic calibrations to meet a reduced NOx threshold for engine emissions.
Advanced EGR represents a diesel-fuel-only alternative to Selective Catalytic Reduction, which in addition to EPA 2007 engines’ EGR mechanism entails a second treatment cycle using urea. Advanced EGR’s in-cylinder solution places emissions-compliance responsibility upon the OEM, Navistar contends, whereas SCR puts the compliance burden on vehicle owners.