Dana Holding Corporation Launches Innovative, Fuel-Efficient Drivetrain Solutions at CONEXPO-CON/AGG

LAS VEGAS, March 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Dana Holding Corporation (NYSE: DAN) today announced the company's lineup of fuel-efficient, integrated drivetrain systems for construction and material-handling on display this week at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011.

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Headlining the show for Dana is the introduction of the first hydromechanical variable transmission (HVT) system resulting from a cooperative effort between Dana and Bosch Rexroth AG.

"The rising price of fuel, combined with more stringent emissions regulations, has made fuel consumption a top concern for the construction industry," said Pietro Franzosi, vice president of business development for the Dana Off-Highway Products Group.  "At Dana, our integrated systems approach and commitment to research and development have produced numerous drivetrain solutions that help original-equipment manufacturers more effectively address the ever-growing demand for fuel efficiency."

Located in booth S-17915 of the South Hall at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Dana will present a complete 20-ton front-end loader system featuring the new HVT, as well as a driveline system for nine- to 10-ton industrial lift trucks.

20-Ton Front-End Loader System

The HVT shown at CONEXPO -CON/AGG is part of a 20-ton (18-tonne) front-end loader drivetrain system that also includes the Spicer® Hercules™ 37R axle and Spicer Model 114 axle.  

Short Y-cycle simulations of front-end loaders equipped with the new HVT from Dana and Bosch Rexroth demonstrate fuel savings of more than 20 percent when compared to the same vehicle outfitted with a conventional torque converter transmission.

Targeted for use on front-end loaders, graders, forestry skidders, and other off-highway applications requiring 115 to 360 horsepower (90-270 kW), the HVT improves productivity by enabling sensitive, precise vehicle positioning and stepless drive with no interrupted acceleration.  It occupies the same space within the design envelope as conventional torque converter transmissions while allowing for engine downsizing.  The HVT optimizes the operating point of the diesel engine by decoupling engine speed from drive speed, and maintenance costs are reduced by utilizing hydrostatic braking and wear-free directional reversals.

Engineered with a rigid, modular load-bearing structure including the differential carrier, housing arms, high-energy wet brakes, and planetary wheel ends, the Spicer Hercules 37R axle accommodates multiple vehicle platform configurations.

Spicer 37R axles are available with Posi-Torq™ and Hydraloc™ differential designs that provide excellent torque bias performance in a wide range of ground traction conditions.  Using large multi-plate clutch discs actuated by gear-separating forces, the Posi-Torq design provides a 45-percent locking capacity, resulting in up to 72-percent torque transfer to the high-traction wheel.

As an operator-controlled differential, the Hydraloc design for 37R series axles allows for moment-to-moment lock-and-release control, delivering superior ground torque bias in severe traction conditions.  In its unlocked condition, the Hydraloc differential permits free vehicle steering to facilitate maximum maneuverability.  Once locked, a hydraulic piston applies force to a large multi-plate wet clutch, resulting in up to 100-percent torque transfer to the high-traction wheel.  

The Spicer Model 114 drive axle includes a limited-slip differential lock that provides a 45-percent locking capacity, delivering excellent tractive force and nimble vehicle steering for front-end loader applications.  The axle can be configured with a variety of other hydraulic-locking differential options, including dog clutch and multi-disc clutch.  Inboard wet disc brakes offer proven fail-safe stopping performance and energy absorption, while a fail-safe park brake featuring internal negative SAHR is available as an option.  

The Spicer Model 114 and 37R axles incorporate 6.00-to-1 ratio outboard planetary wheel ends with 425 mm wheel bolt-circle mountings, self-adjusting internal wet brakes, and a trunnion mounting option.

Nine- to 10-Ton Industrial Lift Truck System

The Dana driveline system for nine- to 10-ton (eight- to nine-tonne) industrial lift trucks includes the Spicer TE08 powershift transmission and the new Spicer Model 139 axle—the latest in a line of axles specifically designed for industrial lift trucks—as well as a Spicer Life® Series Model 150 driveshaft.  

Rated at 75 to 110 horsepower (55 to 82 kW), the Spicer TE08 transmission offers three forward and two reverse speeds, while two-speed forward systems are also available.  By using a multiple-speed design, the TE08 transmission delivers better overall transmission power transfer than single-speed transmissions equipped with less efficient twin-turbine torque converters. The TE08 features a reduced transmission length and output drop, helical gears for noise reduction, and an integral engine pump drive to power system hydraulics.

The TE08 transmission uses a fully electronically modulated clutch control with proportional solenoids.  Full electronic modulation and its associated control systems enable OEMs to use a complete range of best-in-class controls, such as safety inhibits, diagnostics, system monitoring, load- and speed-compensated automatic shifting, shift overlap control, electronic inching, and automatic throttle up.

The Spicer Model 139 axle is engineered to handle the highest load capacities while offering the same durability, reliability, and ease of maintenance provided by Spicer Model 137 and 138 axles already used for smaller lift trucks.

Suitable for lift trucks equipped with pneumatic tires, the Spicer Model 139 axle includes integral frame and mast mounting provisions for fixed-mast lift truck applications, and its spiral bevel center section and a 6-to-1 planetary ratio generate 13-to-1 through 17-to-1 overall axle ratios.  

The Spicer Model 139 axle has a planetary design that allows for a small ring gear, enabling engineers to locate the mast as close to the axle's center line as possible for optimum geometry in load carrying and lifting.  

About the Dana Off-Highway Products Group

The Dana Off-Highway Products Group includes research and development and manufacturing operations in Belgium, Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Italy, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  It designs, manufactures, assembles, and markets Spicer axles and transaxles, driveshafts and end-fittings, transmissions, torque converters, electronic controls, and brakes.  

The Dana Off-Highway Products Group serves more than 1,000 vehicle assembly and manufacturing facilities in 30 countries.  Dana also supports off-highway customers in more than 100 countries by supplying genuine Spicer service parts, operating two global service parts distribution centers, and certifying more than 60 Authorized Spicer Service Centers.  Construction, agriculture, forestry, underground mining, material handling, outdoor power, leisure/utility vehicles, and industrial equipment are just some of the markets that demand the quality found in Spicer products and genuine service parts.  For more information, visit www.dana.com/offhighway.

About Dana Holding Corporation

Dana is a world leader in the supply of driveline products (axles, driveshafts, and transmissions), power technologies (sealing and thermal-management products), and genuine service parts for light- and heavy-duty vehicle manufacturers.  The company's customer base includes nearly every major vehicle manufacturer in the global automotive, commercial vehicle, and off-highway markets.  Based in Maumee, Ohio, the company employs approximately 22,500 people in 26 countries and reported 2010 sales of $6.1 billion.  For more information, please visit www.dana.com.

SOURCE Dana Holding Corporation