Eaton’s new family of UltraShift Plus automated transmissions share basic design platforms and components with the company’s previous generation UltraShift transmissions. But, according to Staci Kroon, senior vice-president and general manager for Eaton’s Commercial Vehicle Transmission division, the UltraShift family of automated transmissions represents a “quantum leap” forward in terms of safety, reliability and efficiency for heavy-duty truck fleets engaged in long-haul, regional- and urban-delivery as well as vocational and severe-service construction, mining and forestry applications.
Key to these productivity boosts are a host of all-new features on the UltraShift Plus series, including automated clutch technology and intelligent shift selection software that employs grade-sensing, vehicle weight computation and driver throttle command monitoring to make “intelligent” shift decisions in a wide variety of driving situations and terrain types. Drivers also have the option of switching to “manual” mode should conditions demand greater control of gear selections, according to Kroon.
He noted that more than seven years of research and development – including intensive feedback from more than 25 test fleets throughout North America – has gone into the development of the UltraShift Plus line. The result is a family of six specialized transmission models:
· Linehaul Active Shifting (LAS, available in both an overdrive and direct-drive version);
· Multipurpose High Performance (MHP);
· Multipurpose Extreme Performance (MXP);
· Vocational Construction Series (VCS);
· Vocational Multi-purpose Series (VMS); and
· Vocational Extreme Performance (VXP).
All six models have truck launches and shift points automated with a new, self-adjusting electronic shift actuator for fast, smooth gear engagements. Additionally, all UltraShift Plus transmissions can be tailored for niche applications by a trained technician to ensure on-demand, optimum performance, Kroon explained.
A VXP transmission, for example, comes “out of the box” designed to deliver high-torque performance for heavy loads in extreme off-road conditions. But, should a VXP-equipped truck be pulled out of the bush and put on the highway in regional, or even long-haul work, a technician can re-configure the transmission shift points and performance profile to deliver higher fuel efficiency, higher-gear starts and gear skips for increased productivity and fuel economy on the open road – usually in about 10 minutes, according to Eaton engineers. Naturally, returning the transmission to its original performance parameters is just as easy once the truck is needed to work off-road once again.
Eaton engineers also incorporated several safety-enhancing features into the UltraShift Plus family. The Hill Start Aid feature holds the truck in place without any vehicle rollback for 3 seconds after the driver releases the service brakes – even fully loaded on grades up to 25 percent. The enhanced “creep” mode is said to assure smooth, steady and safe low-speed vehicle steering in both forward and reverse gears – even backing loaded mixers down a 30 percent grade without any throttle inputs from the driver.
Other UltraShift Plus transmission features include:
· Torque capacities ranging from 1,450 to 2,250 pound-feet.
· An installed weight advantage of up to 300 pounds compared to “conventional” automated transmissions.
· Improved fuel economy – up to 23 percent in urban applications, according to Eaton.
· No additional cooling requirements over that of manual transmissions.
Eaton said the UltraShift Plus will enter into full production in 2010.
