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MOTORINDIA
l
April 2012
gies being offered by manufactur-
ers, the company is keen on provid-
ing unique solutions to customers in
the powertrain segment.
In axle manufacturing, Meritor
is globally-renowned and is a pre-
ferred choice, especially for higher-
powered trucks. Meritor has impres-
sive market share figures across the
globe, thanks to its material quality,
heat treatment speciality and over
100 years of research which only
continues to get better with time,
said Mr. Raghunathan, VP and Ex-
ecutive Director, MHVSIL.
Meritor Automotive Axles is the
first to successfully develop the two-
speed axle which has been tested
by leading vehicle manufacturers,
including Tata Motors, Ashok Ley-
land, MNAL and Eicher who are
very happy with its performance.
With the hub and spoke model
being the order of the day, most
vehicles are loaded in one direc-
tion and are unloaded during re-
turn. This calls for different engine
power in both directions. Also, die-
sel consumption and the travel time
are different for both directions.
The two-speed axle provides a
deeper ratio in demanding road
conditions and when the vehicle
is loaded. In good road condition
and when the vehicle is lighter in
weight, the speed ratio facilitates a
faster drive. The gear ratio could be
changed with the vehicle in motion,
eliminating the need for frequent
stops.
There is an extra initial invest-
ment which goes into the purchase
of a vehicle fitted with the two-speed
axle, but the various advantages of
the axle are certain to compensate
for the additional investment within
six to eight months. Retro-fit of the
axle is also possible.
In South America, 98 per cent of
the vehicles are fitted with the two-
speed axle, that too in multi-axle
configuration. The axle is preferred
for 6x2 trucks, 8x2 trucks, 4x2 trac-
tor and other tanker applications in
the continent where it is performing
well since 15 years. A major advan-
tage of the green axle is improved
fuel economy as it is capable of de-
livering 6 to 12 per cent better fuel
component zone
The axle has been com-
pletely localised to suit the
Indian market and is made
at the company plant in
Mysore.
The green axle with a cut section to demonstrate gear mechanism