Meritor expands lineup with new brake, axle options

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Trailer-Body Builders  /  September 20, 2018

Meritor recently made hydraulic actuation available on all ELSA disc brakes, and added new severe-duty front-drive and tridem rear axles.

The new brake option is for applications requiring hydraulic disc brake variants.

Built with a modular design, the mechanical, pneumatically operated brake housing of the current ELSA range is replaced by a hydraulic single- or twin-piston variant. The bridge, carrier and slide pin arrangements remain common for pneumatic and hydraulic variants, the company said.

Pads also can be common and will be available in pad areas from 107-226 square centimetres. The new option covers brakes for wheels between 17.5 and 25 inches. Rotor diameter varies from 324 mm to 500 mm.

“The hydraulic variant supports current applications and specialty applications, as well as eMobility vehicles where the industry’s dependence on pneumatic systems has been reduced to a point where it becomes advantageous to work with hydraulic systems,” said Tony Nicol, Meritor’s vice president for front and rear drivetrains in Europe.

As with all ELSA products, the hydraulic variant can be manufactured for all global regions to support OE product development and initiatives, Meritor said.

“Manufacturers can now readily install a pneumatic or hydraulic ELSA brake on the same wheel-end arrangement to reduce production complexity, tooling and engineering development costs,” Nicol said.

Meritor’s new MX-610 front-drive axle and MZ-610 tridem rear axle are designed to operate in extreme conditions.

“The front-drive steer axle and tridem are the next-generation axle combinations from our award-winning 610/P600 series and two of many new products Meritor is bringing to market as part of the company’s M2019 growth initiative,” Nicol said Tony Nicol. “Our state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly system delivers the quality our customers expect for severe-duty applications.”

The MZ-610 tridem offers wide-ranging axle ratings and high ground clearance, as well as a gross axle weight rating (GAWR) of 60 tons and gross combination weight (GCW) of 210 tons.  It fits ELSA brakes in a double-caliper configuration to offer high-rated torque with compact packaging.

Its small product envelop is capable of mounting 20-inch wheel rims and offers a steering angle up to 42 degrees. A detachable tandem is optional.

Meritor's new proportioning inter-axle differential delivers even torque split between the three axles to maximize traction, load capacity and longevity of the drivetrain. With five differential locks and hardware for optional central tire inflation systems (CTIS), the MZ-610 is equipped for the most demanding applications.  

The MZ-610 tridem’s wide ratio coverage from 4.11 to 7.21 with standard drum or disc brakes delivers safety and performance for vehicles operating in extreme conditions. The faster ratios support downspeeding to reduce fuel consumption.

“High tractive force in all driving conditions increases vehicle productivity,” Nicol said. “An optimized design delivers high power density to handle greater payloads and offers durability and reliability that improves uptime.”

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Meritor plans new air disc brake platform, brings 'Blue Horizon' to Europe

Neil Abt, Fleet Owner  /  September 24, 2018

HANOVER, Germany. Meritor announced plans to launch a new single-piston air disc brake for both the United States and European markets.

Speaking at a press event at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show, Meritor CEO and President Jay Craig said testing is ongoing and the formal launch is targeted for next October at the North American Commercial Vehicles show in Atlanta.

Craig said the brake platform would be well suited for many linehaul operations in the United States.

Meritor brought its new Blue Horizon brand to Europe for the first time after being rolled out earlier this year at the Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo in California. “Blue Horizon will offer a product pipeline that meets accelerating global demand for efficiency, connectivity and electric solutions across multiple applications,” said Krista Sohm, vice president of marketing and communications. 

That includes an electric axle that was on display at Meritor’s booth and is projected to be ready by 2020.

Craig said this was another sign that Meritor planns to be a “leader no matter where the industry takes us in the future.”

Chris Villavarayan, president of Meritor’s global truck unit, added the company is working on a disengageable tandem drive axle that provides 6x2 fuel economy with 6x4 traction and acceleration. 

Also in the Blue Horizon product pipeline is a composite driveline built with advanced materials to reduce weight, and an advanced lube management system using electronics and pneumatics to manage axle components and increase efficiency.

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