Daimler Trucks North America has begun a pilot program for plastic parts produced using 3D printing technologies, which the manufacturer sees as soon playing a significant role in heavy-duty fleet maintenance. More importantly, management notes, DTNA views 3D printing as an opportunity to better serve customers, particularly those needing parts that have been difficult to provide through traditional supply chains due to truck age or very low or intermittent demand.
Read MoreTag: Western Star
Mack, Western Star team with camera, radar device providers Lytx, 3rdEye
Sources: Mack Trucks, Greensboro, N.C.; Western Star, Portland, Ore.; CP staff
Increasing emphasis on truck accident prevention, coupled with expedited, assembly stage installation of related equipment and devices, is driving safety device specialist and heavy-duty model manufacturer alliances.
Read MoreDaimler division prints first spare truck part of metal
A European sister operation of Daimler Trucks North America has taken 3D printing to the next stage: Production of heavy-duty model parts, starting with a thermostat cover.
Read MoreTRUCKS & COMPONENTS
There’s been no shortage of product development and engineering geared to concrete and aggregate delivery vehicles since last year’s Trucks & Components feature, especially with recent World of Concrete and ConExpo-Con/Agg shows. During the latter, Trimble announced its ConnectedTablet, along with a first-of-its-kind Enterprise Recording feature for the TrimFleet Communicator, and XL Specialized Trailers showed a prototype of its new lightweight bottom dump.
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