Technical Innovations
Load-profiled bodies from Phil
 The Phil Load Profiled HIVOL truck body (above) has a mass of 40,000 kg (88,000 lb) and is designed to carry a 310-t (340-ton) payload. The company's Load Profiled HIVOL for the Caterpillar 793C (below) is designed to carry a 225-t (250-ton) payload.  |
Philippi-Hagenbuch, Inc. uses its patent-pending Profiled Load Design Process for the modeling and building of off-highway dump truck bodies. The process takes into account site-specific information such as loading and haulage conditions, material characteristics and density, truck loading techniques, and the type of equipment used. This information is then profiled to identify correct tonnage and load center-of-gravity location. The result is, according to the company, a body built to meet OEM weight distribution standards and GVW guidelines while maximizing productivity with improved body capacity, load retention, and proper placement of the load on the truck chassis/tires.
Typically, dump trucks bodies are designed using a theoretical material heap of 2:1. According to Phil, this design approach ignores a number of important factors such as the actual loading/hauling conditions that exist on location. The result is often bodies with an improper weight distribution or bodies that are undersized/underloaded or oversized/overloaded, leading to potential truck chassis problems, including uneven tire wear and vehicle instability.
Engineered to provide a load balance of one-third on the front axle and two-thirds on the rear axle, Phil's Load Profiled HIVOL bodies are built shorter and wider with a lower center-of-gravity to minimize loading impacts while enhancing vehicle stability. The high-strength steel bodies are also sized to reduce material spillage over the sides or rear of the truck during transport.
- Jean L. Broge
Trimble's thimble-like GPS module
The M-Loc MPM from Trimble is a tiny measurement platform module that uses the company's FirstGPS technology to enable OEMs to integrate GPS in mobile.
"With the M-Loc MPM module, Trimble bridges the economic and design gap between the chipset and traditional GPS board solutions," said Joel Avey, Director of Marketing for Trimble's Component Technologies Division.
According to the company, the M-Loc MPM offers the lowest power consumption of any GPS receiver on the market, requiring only one-third the power of most receivers (43 mW at 3.3 V when updating positions every second). For equipment that only needs location-on-demand, several sleep and low-power modes allow for further power savings and longer battery life.
With a footprint as small as 25 x 25 mm (1 x 1 in), the module features host-based architecture that allows flexible integration of GPS with other real-time software tasks. Without burdening the other applications running on the machine, FirstGPS leverages the host microprocessor and memory to calculate the GPS position, velocity, and time solutions. This technology, which is microprocessor and real-time operating system independent, eliminates redundant CPUs and memory, reducing overall component count and product cost.
While FirstGPS is designed for autonomous operation, its technology is adaptable to servers for faster signal acquisition, higher position accuracy, and enhanced sensitivity.
- Jean L. Broge
Tecumseh adds engine, transmission
 The new Enduro 13-kW (18-hp) from Tecumseh features a dual-stage air filter with a washable and reusable foam pre-filter as well as an automotive-style pleated paper filter. |
A 13-kW (18-hp) single-cylinder engine is the newest addition to Tecumseh Products Co.'s line of Enduro overhead valve engines. The engine is a four-cycle, air-cooled engine with a cast-iron sleeve and is certified to EPA Phase II, CARB Tier II standards. It is intended as an economical engine for light-duty lawn tractors and riding mowers, with sufficient power to operate at a higher ground speed and with large mower decks.
The Enduro features a gerotor-style pump that circulates the oil under pressure directly to the upper and lower bearing, assuring that all bearings receive a continuous flow of oil. A spin-on oil filter removes contaminants from the oil before it is circulated throughout the engine.
The engine can be paired with Tecumseh's new SilentTrac LCH (Low Cost Hydro) Series hydrostatic transmission, a lighter-duty version of the company's SilentTrac LTH transmission, which was introduced in 2000.
 The LCH Series hydrostatic transmission provides infinitely variable speed controls to operators of rear-engine riding mowers, mini riders, and light-duty lawn tractors. |
The LCH is designed for use on rear-engine riding mowers, mini riders, and light-duty lawn tractors not equipped with snow blowers, ground engagement, or towing attachments. It is rated for vehicles with up to 180 kg (400 lb) over the axle and 20-in drive tires.
"The LCH has similar features to Tecumseh's heavier-duty LTH transaxle, with a lower torque rating," said Orville McDonner, Product Manager, Transmissions. It uses the LTH Series' patented modular design with a hydrostatic pump-motor module and a final drive, each sealed in a separate housing to eliminate potential for contamination from the gear train. One option for the engine is a neutral-start switch that requires the transmission to be in neutral before the engine can be started. A second option is a mechanical-disconnect feature to disengage the axle from the wheel in the event the mower must be pushed or moved when it is not running.
The LCH is available with a choice of foot-pedal control or fender shift. To match the design requirements of a variety of riding mowers and lawn tractor models, the controls are available in right- or left-hand configurations.
- Jean L. Broge
