Power management company Eaton has expanded its severe duty (SD) clutch range for manual transmissions to provide reliable, long life operation with high torques of up to 2500 Nm. As a result of using the new clutches, commercial vehicle fleet owners can increase the service life of their fleet, reduce maintenance costs and improve total cost of ownership.
With increased demand worldwide to reduce vehicle emissions and meet the stringent Euro 6 regulations, engine manufacturers are designing larger engines with higher torques. As such, Eaton has developed its SD clutches, which were previously available up to 2200Nm, to now operate reliably in heavy duty trucks with higher torques up to 2500 Nm.
“Recognising the latest trends for higher torques, Eaton continues to support vehicle manufacturers with technologies they most need,” explains Julie Tolley, vice president and general manager, Commercial Vehicle Clutch Business at Eaton. “Our SD clutch is successfully used in many severe duty applications and we’re delighted to launch a higher torque version enabling customers worldwide to minimise the operating costs of their fleets equipped with advanced high-power engines.”
Clutch discs are one of the most stressed components on commercial vehicles, so they need to be robust and reliable to provide excellent performance over a long working life. Shifting gears in commercial vehicles that are fully loaded or operating on steep hills or other demanding driving conditions can generate extremely high temperatures in the coupling housing.
Eaton’s SD clutches feature a ceramic facing instead of traditional organic materials and have a higher wear-resistance and heat-resistance compared with traditional clutches, and therefore have a longer life. The SD clutches’ increased durability reduce a fleet owner’s lifecycle costs versus the costs for organic facings. The clutches also enable easier shifting (as compared to a twin plate clutch) so drivers can maintain better control of their vehicles and operate safety.
Eaton offers its SD–technology for large clutch discs with 395- and 430-millimeter diameters, as well for other European and American designs. They have proven reliable in commercial vehicles used in the most severe applications with frequent stop-and-go driving cycles under high loads, in such applications as waste disposal, mining, construction and forestry industries.