Fleet Management News & Business Info | Commercial Carrier Journal
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EquipmEnt: INTEGRATED DRIVETRAINS "We have always worked with mul- tiple engine makers and to this day continue to have ongoing conversa- tions with all of the OEMs," Trzybinski says. "That gives us an inherent under- standing of where the market is going, where the technology is going, where integration is going, and how our transmissions can be designed to take advantage of all of that, both today and into the future." Trzybinski says the technology partnership that his com- pany has with Cummins, and the success of the subsequent Cummins-Eaton SmartAdvantage powertrain, is the latest example of how Eaton's diversity benefits both companies' mutual customers. "It isn't the only exam- ple," he says. "We have been able to take what we have learned from that and apply similar technologies with other engine makes, including the Paccar MX13 and Navistar N13 engines." One other area where Tryzbinski believes Eaton benefits is the com- pany's ability to integrate the clutch with the transmission. "By designing and manufacturing the clutch to work in harmony with the transmission and understanding the intricacies of these two components, Eaton can deliver a total package," he says. Fuel-saving spec Regardless of which design approach OEMs choose, they are convinced that integrated powertrains will remain the spec of choice for fuel-conscious fleets. "When we launched the DT12 transmis- sion, we said it makes all the drivers in the fleet perform like experienced pros," Norton says. "Intel- ligent Powertrain Manage- ment goes beyond what even the most experienced driver can do – by proactively preparing the powertrain for upcoming terrain that the driver may not even see." These functions can be new and different for drivers. IPM is programmed to drop speed before a hill's crest in anticipation of the upcoming downhill. "Drivers may think their cruise control has stopped working, but IPM knows the speed will be made up on the downgrade," Norton says. "As advanced electronics and powertrain technology like this become more commonplace, it is very important for fleets and drivers to understand the benefits and let the truck perform the way it was designed." Moore says Volvo already has taken its integrated drivetrain technology to higher levels of efficiency with its new XE drive- train. "Our eXecptional Efficiency package is an integrated drivetrain designed to downspeed," he says. By running at 200 rpm less at cruise speed than a comparable nonintegrated driveline, the XE package can improve fuel economy by an av- erage of 3 percent. "Nonintegrated drivelines typically are not used in downspeeding due to shifting and performance issues." Trzybinski says customer ob- servations are critical to further enhancements. "We have been getting a lot of feedback on better and smoother shifting," he says. "As the communication between the engine and transmission keeps getting better, we are also hearing reports on vehicle performance benefits because the shift decisions are more precise and more accurate." He says Eaton's other products that aren't yet as deeply integrated also benefit from these technologies, especially in terms of fuel efficiency gains. "All of these new advancements are going to have a positive effect on everybody." Detroit's integrated powertrain features the DD15 engine, DT12 transmission and Detroit axles. 64 commercial carrier journal | june 2015 Eaton's Fuller Advantage Series automated 10-speed transmission now is being offered on select International ProStar trucks with the N13 engine. Market acceptance has grown every year, so we have a very good feeling about where the technology is going. – Ryan Trzybinski, product strategy manager, Eaton