39
december 2013
international
construction
OEM
New technology
New from Hawe Hydraulik is the V40M axial piston pump for
a range of machines with hydraulic operating pressures of up
to 250 bar.
>
Consumable contribution
Choosing the right lubricant can cut running costs
T
he quest for lower fuel consumption is not just about new components and machine
design – far from it. The way a machine is operated and maintained has a massive
influence, and issues such as choosing the right lubricants and other consumables
can have a big bearing on fuel consumption and even reliability.
Hans Wildeboer, product application specialist at Shell Lubricants said, “Conventionally
fuel efficiency is expected from an engine, but for off-highway equipment considerably more
can be achieved in the driveline and in the hydraulic system.
Mr Wildeboer explained that some of the biggest fuel saving contributions are expected to
come from the traditional or newly designed transmission, so it is worth looking at using an
appropriate transmission oil. “The oil needs to meet the demanding requirements of modern
transmission, differential gears, final drives often with oil immersed brake, reduction gears
and hydraulic systems fitted to heavy-duty off-highway in all climates.
“To help contractors and fleet operators
achieve even higher savings, Shell offers
Shell LubeMatch, a free simple online
tool that allows users to match the
correct lubricant to their vehicles, and
offers a vast bank of data on engines and
lubricants including the quantities required
and suggested oil drain intervals. Now
available in 123 countries in 26 languages
and as a mobile app for iOS and Android.
“Shell Lubricants customers can also
make use of Shell LubeAnalyst, an early
warning system that enables customers to
monitor the condition of their equipment
and lubricant, helping to save money
on maintenance and avoid potential lost
business through equipment failure. Shell
is the only oil company with a single global
platform doing this,” he said.
up oil in the system due to the reduced
load on the hydraulics, so this is a way of
taking advantage of energy that would otherwise
be wasted.
One of the potential knock-on effects of more
efficient transmissions and hydraulics is that engines on
machines would not have to be as big or powerful. A
smaller engine or lower power output translates to less
fuel being consumed, so this move towards
engine downsizing is a big trend in the
industry today.
Cummins Turbo Technologies is
working on systems that could
contribute to this, such as its next
generation of Holset variable-
geometry turbochargers (VGT). The
company has unveiled a prototype
which it says can improve engine
efficiency and therefore reduce fuel
consumption. However, Adrian
Tipling, the company’s account
executive for global OEMs, said that it
would not be available commercially until
2016.
He said it would be 2018 before another of its
prototypes, the waste heat recovery turbine expander, was
available. He explained this used waste heat from the engine to
deliver energy to the drivetrain, or electrical energy to a grid,
network or battery.
Value engineering
Another trend in the components sector is to design parts that
are suitable for the various large, high-growth emerging markets
around the world. An example of this is the joint venture set up
between ZF and Liugong in September 2012, to make axles and
transmissions for the enormous wheeled loader sector in China.
July saw ZF Liuzhou Axle unveil its first prototype, the
AP3000 axle, which can be assembled with dry or wet brakes,
Dana’s Spicer PowerBoost captures kinetic
energy otherwise wasted throughout the
drivetrain and working hydraulics.
and is designed for 5 and 6 tonne capacity
wheeled loaders.
An unusual point about the joint venture
is that it is not a case of ZF pouring in the
technology and Liugong supplying cheap
labour. The technology and R&D aspects are
split 50:50 between the two parties.
“Our co-operation with Liugong strongly shows the
‘Design to market’ strategy which has been consistently
followed by ZF, especially in the field of off-highway systems.
Together with our partner Liugong, we have developed a product
which exactly matches the requirements of the Chinese market,”
said ZF Board member Wilhelm Rehm.
A team of Liugong and ZF engineers started work on the
axle design in October 2011. This led to the development of
a modular design allowing dry disc brake (Basic Line) and wet
multi-disc (High Line) versions to be produced from a large
number of common parts.
This all goes to show that while new technologies and design
approaches could help unlock fuel savings, innovative machine
design is also about doing more with less.
iC
Sauer Danfoss has launched a new fan drive control
for its H1 family of piston pumps. The advantage of a
hydraulic control is that the fan speed can be exactly
matched to the cooling effort required.
