Capital Equipment News May 2018

Key competitive edge The DUONIC double wet-clutch transmission combines automated driving with the advantages of a manual transmission. As with a full automatic transmission, it is a two-pedal system; there is an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal and a selector lever. The selector lever allows automatic or manual gearshift mode to be selected. The DUONIC transmission has six forward gears and a reverse gear. The P-function ensures safe parking by preventing the vehicle from rolling away. The most compelling advantage of the dual wet clutch is reduced total cost of ownership, which is a key consideration for any transport operator when making those crucial buying decisions. Total cost of ownership is lowered through reduced maintenance costs and improved fuel economy. DUONIC features a non-wearing wet clutch, which lowers maintenance costs by eliminating the need to replace worn clutch discs. In terms of fuel economy, because power flow from the engine to the transmission is uninterrupted, fuel efficiency increases dramatically. Matseba says a six-speed dual wet clutch transmission can deliver up to 10% increase in relative fuel efficiency when compared with a conventional five- speed automatic. Driver experience, which is also a huge factor in overall productivity and fuel consumption, is one of the many advantages of the dual wet clutch transmission. “The advanced transmission earns its reputation because of its great fuel consumption and easy driving like a passenger car. Even the most advanced trucks are driven by people, thus DUONIC helps reduce drivers’ workload and stress, so they can fully focus on driving,” she says. With fast upshifts, it is said to offer the most dynamic acceleration. One of the key features of the DUONIC transmission is smooth acceleration by eliminating the shift shock that accompanies gearshifts in manual transmissions and even some automatics. “The smooth, seamless shifting without shock and torque interruption is a major talking point on the DUONIC wet-type clutch. Combined with the easy two-pedal driving, this feature releases drivers from stress and lets them fully focus on the task at hand, which is driving,” says Matseba. “Shock-less driving also leads to better stability of cargo.” A creep function has been added to the wet clutch, as is the case for automatic transmission with a torque converter. This enables drivers to easily control vehicle speed even when the truck is moving slowly,

QUICK TAKE

With a gross vehicle mass of 4,9 t, the FE4- 130TF becomes the smallest model in FUSO Trucks Southern Africa’s range with a 4,9 t gross vehicle mass

The 4x2 FUSO FE4-130 is available in both manual (the FE4-130 TF MT, with five forward gears) and automatic manual transmission (the FE4-130 TF AMT, offering six forward gears)

FUSO is the first and only OEM to have introduced a wet-type clutch transmission on a truck

The DUONIC transmission features a non-wearing wet clutch, which lowers maintenance costs by eliminating the need to replace worn clutch discs

“FUSO ended 2014 with a 4,2% share of the local truck market, a figure which went up to 6,1% in 2017, representing 45% growth since 2014. “We aim to achieve 60% growth by 2020 to reach the envisaged 10% market share.”

Jasper Hafkamp, Executive Director, Daimler Truck and Bus Southern Africa

“FUSO Trucks’ new brand claim was born out of a vision where the manufacturer ensures finding mobility transport solutions for operators becomes as simple as possible. In addition, the claim is built on the foundation of our three key pillars: reliability and quality; value for money; and best service support.”

Ziyad Gaba, Head of FUSO Trucks Southern Africa

TALKING POINTS

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