Meritor Launches New Tandem Drive Axle

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Transport Topics  /  February 27, 2017

Meritor has unveiled its new 14X HE tandem drive axle for linehaul applications.

During a Feb. 26 event, Meritor described the axle, a modification of its 14X from 2011, as a “premium” axle that now is available as an option on highway tractors made by Freightliner, International, Kenworth, Peterbilt and Volvo.

“Based on today’s diesel prices, a fleet with 1,000 trucks equipped with the 14X HE could realize $1 million per year in fuel savings,” said Ken Hogan, Meritor vice president for rear drivetrains.

The HE stands for “high efficiency.”

The new tandem drive axle is available in a range of ratios from 2.15 to 3.9-to-1.

Eric Lewandowski, product manager for drive axles, said the lower ratios are for direct-drive transmissions, and the ratios above 3.0 are for overdrive transmissions.

The axle is manufactured in Asheville, North Carolina.

Lewandowski said 14X HE will not replace the 14X; the 14X will remain as an axle for vocational applications.

The new 14X HE axle weighs 30 pounds less than the traditional 14X model, and is 1.5% more efficient than its predecessor.

Meritor said the 14X HE is one of the 20 new products being launched by 2019.
 

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Meritor unveils new high-efficiency tandem drive axle

Truck News  /  February 27, 2017

Meritor introduced its new 14X HE high-efficiency tandem drive axle on the eve of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s spring meeting this week.

The 14X HE is designed for linehaul applications and is 30 lbs lighter and up to 2% more fuel efficient than its predecessor. Nelligan claimed at the launch that it “outperforms the competition in weight, efficiency and overall gross combination weight. It’s the perfect axle for linehaul in North America.”

The 14X HE has a GCWR of 90,000 lbs and can handle torque of up to 1,950 lb.-ft., Nelligan said. It features high-efficiency bearings, spiral bevel gearing and a new Meritor lube management system.

The axle is the first of what will be about 20 new products designed and brought to market by Meritor over the next three years.

“Built upon our trusted and valued 14X platform that is specified by a large majority of fleets, the new 14X HE is an evolutionary axle that takes efficiency to a whole new level,” said Ken Hogan, vice-president, rear drivetrain for Meritor. “Based on today’s diesel prices, a fleet with 1,000 trucks equipped with the 14X HE could realize $1 million per year in fuel savings.”

Weight was reduced through the use of laser welding, Meritor said. The 14X HE’s ring gear is laser-welded to the differential housing, offering a robust joint that eliminates fasteners and reduces oil-churning losses. Ratios as fast as 2.15 are available for aggressive downspeeding.

“With fuel being the largest operating cost to fleets, the 14X HE rounds out more of our portfolio with a product focused on improved fuel economy to save fleets money and reinforce Meritor’s leadership in axle efficiency,” Hogan said. “Meritor recognizes that fuel prices won’t stay low forever and that customers are always looking for solutions to reduce their operating costs.”

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Meritor unveils 14X HE tandem drive axle

Sean Kilcarr, Fleet Owner  /  February 27, 2017

The 14X HE “high efficiency” tandem is aimed at North American linehaul fleets operating primarily in high-speed highway environments.

The new Meritor 14X HE (short for “high-efficiency”) linehaul tandem drive axle unveiled here at the 2017 Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) annual meeting is designed at its heart to save fleets operating at high speeds on highways more money, explained Chris Villavarayan, Meritor’s president of the Americas.

“The long and the short of it is higher efficiency,” he told Fleet Owner. “Our linehaul customers are all about efficiency and this [tandem drive axle] is all about greater efficiency; that’s what drives them.”

Villavarayan added that the 14X HE generates 1.5% to 2% greater efficiency – “nothing is more important” – and is 30 lbs. lighter than Meritor’s 14X tandem drive axle due to specific design changes.

First, Meritor pointed to the use of laser welding in its axle manufacturing process to reduce weight and drive design efficiencies. For example, the 14X HE’s ring gear is laser-welded to the differential housing, offering a more robust joint that eliminates fasteners and reduces oil churning losses. The axle also sports “superfast ratios” down to 2.15 for aggressive downspeeding.

Charlie Allen, Meritor’s general manager for rear axle drives, explained to Fleet Owner that the 14X HE reduces “oil churn” by pushing lubricating oil out into the axle housing – thereby giving “a shot of oil” to the wheel hubs in the process – without the need for complicated electronics.

“It’s a highly efficient yet simple design,” he said.

Meritor said, based on today’s diesel prices, a fleet with 1,000 trucks equipped with the 14X HE could realize $1 million per year in fuel savings.

The company added that the 14X HE is one of 20 new global products Meritor plans to introduce as part of its “M2019” strategic plan ovetr the next two years.

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Today's Trucking  /  March 4, 2017

 

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New Spicer AdvanTek 40 Axle Ratio Supports Downspeeding

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  March 3, 2017

Dana has added a new axle ratio for the Spicer AdvanTek 40 tandem axle that helps support engine downspeeding for linehaul trucks.

The new axle ratio of 2.47:1 allows truck buyers to fine-tune their driveline specifications for an optimized balance of productivity and fuel efficiency, the compamny said.

Dana now offers seven different ratios to support engine downspeeding, ranging from 2.26:1 to 2.93:1.

The latest ratio is suited for direct-drive versions of the SmartAdvantage Powertrain from Eaton and Cummins. The configuration is recommended for regional-haul applications in a mix of driving environments.

The SmartAdvantage Powertrain features the Cummins X15 Efficiency Series engine paired with an Eaton Fuller Advantage 10-speed automated manual transmission.  The engine and transmission share critical data, determining the torque required to deliver better drivability and an optimum power level.

By using engine downspeeding and leveraging the Cummins X15 engine's low-end torque, many vehicle operators will see a tangible improvement in fuel economy over traditional drivelines, according to Dana.

“Dana, Cummins, and Eaton share engineering data in order to fine-tune the powertrain and maximize the benefits of engine downspeeding," said Mark Wallace, executive vice president of Dana and president of Dana Commercial Driveline Technologies.  "The Spicer AdvanTEK 40 axle, which is the fastest, lightest, and most efficient axle available, is fully optimized for the best-performing powertrain on the market, delivering a powerful system that manages dynamic challenges resulting from higher torque requirements."

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