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Synchronizer design optimization is being prime need for smooth gear shifting and shifting noise. Especially in tractors, synchronizers are subjected to different kinds of loads under various field applications such as Puddling, Cultivation, Haulage, Construction equipment, etc. Also, transmission housings act as a part of chassis of the tractor and hence subjected to sever bending loads. Thus, design & evaluation of tractor transmission, meeting the customer requirement is quite complex. Current trends in product development are driven by shortening development time, reduced cost and first-time-right principle. These above requirements drive tractor manufacturers to put more efforts on delivering quality, robust and reliable transmission assembly in time. Generally the synchronizer packs were validated at sub system level in test rig and further assembled on to the tractor to validate the same in tractor level it requires more time & high cost.

Model based calibration is extensively used by the automotive OEMs (Original Equipment manufacturers) because of its correlation accuracy with test data and freezing the operating parameters such as injection timings, EGR rates, fuel quantity etc. The prediction of Brake specific Fuel consumption (BSFC), Exhaust and intake temperatures are very close to test data. The prediction of Brake specific NOx is directionally reliable with acceptable tolerance.

Structural elastomer components like bushes, engine mounts are required to meet stringent and contrasting requirements of being soft for better NVH and also be durable at different loading conditions and different road conditions. Silent block bushes are such components where the loading in radial direction of bushes are high to ensure the durability of bushes at high loads, but has to be soft on torsion to ensure good NVH. These requirements present with unique challenge to optimize the leaf spring bush design, stiffness and material characteristics of the rubber. Traditionally, bushes with varying degree of stiffness are selected, manufactured and tested on vehicle and the best one is chosen depending on the requirements. However, this approach is costly, time consuming and iterative. In this study, the stiffness targets required for the bush were analysed using static and dynamic load cases using virtual simulation (MSC.ADAMS).

Present day AMT unit uses two high pressure hydraulically operated pistons for select & shift operations which make the unit weigh around 8kg. Besides this it also makes the unit more complex & unreliable with a lot of torque interruption. The use of electrical servo motors steps in here as a better alternative as it provides a more precise and smoother shift. To test this we used a 5 Gear-Manual Transmission. For the selection, a precise 14.5 degree of twisting was required which was easily achieved by the servo motor. Further, shift of 10.5mm could be made possible by using the motor to shift the rack using a pinion on the shaft. This system then essentially eliminates the whole hydraulic circuit, the housing of actuator pack & power pack making it a simpler unit all together. A Motor is attached to the output shaft of the Transmission which drives in power while the AMT unit is making transition from one gear to another.

This paper describes modified polypropylene copolymer (PPCP) material for canopy plastic structure in a modular commercial passenger vehicle. This compounded PPCP material has optimized flow behavior, tensile strength, modulus, impact strength, and thermal properties to meet the functional requirements. Material described in this paper is a PPCP compound reinforced with glass fiber and mica filler. The application described in this paper is a canopy plastic structure, which is a structural exterior plastic part. Canopy plastic structure acts as a structural frame to hold vinyl canopy in both sides and tail gate of vehicle. In this paper, PPCP has been explored for canopy plastic structure part against conventional polyamides. Structural durability of the design was validated by virtual engineering. Part design and material combinations with better tooling design iterations were analyzed by using mold flow analysis.

The tractor usage is growing in the world due to derivative of rural economy and farming process. It needed wide range of implements based on the applications of the customer. The tractor plays a major role in Agricultural and Construction applications. In a tractor, hydraulic system is act as a heart of the vehicle which controls the draft and position of the implement. Hydraulic system consists of Powertrain assembly, 3-point linkage and DC sensing assembly. The design of hydraulic powertrain assembly is challenging because the loads acting on the system varies based on the type of implement, type of crop, stage of farming and soil conditions etc., Hydraulic powertrain assembly is designed based on standards like IS 12207-2019 which regulates the test methods for the system based on the lift capacity of the tractor. In this paper, virtual simulation has been established to optimize the design and perform the test correlation.

This paper deals with new trends in materials & heat treatment in automotive transmission shafting. The material is S48C a low carbon alloy steel and material for automotive shaft special significance as it reduces overall cost in vehicle transmission shafts. Conventional method of shaft heat heat-treatment is case hardening for 20MnCr5. S48C is low-carbon alloy steel. This is an alternate proposal to 20MnCr5.There are lot of advantages in induction hardening over case hardening. Also induction hardening process with S48C material becomes cheaper than case-hardening with 20MnCr5.Strength and resistance to stress must therefore be carefully considered during the material selection and heat-treatment process. We have done Static torsion test for 20MnCr5 (case hardened steel) and S48C (induction hardened shaft). Test results were comparable with 20MnCr5 (case hardened steel). Also after test a metallurgical inspection was done on an S48C (induction hardened shaft).

S-cam air brake system is provided in almost all commercial vehicles having tonnage above 7.5-ton. In S-Cam brake system, drum to brake lining gap (henceforth referred to as ‘brake lining gap’ or simply ‘gap’ for convenience) range is an important factor which can impact braking behavior during brake application. Different OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) define different brake lining gap ranges between S-cam brake lining and drum. This range depends majorly on the internal mechanism deployed in ASA (Auto Slack Adjuster). When these brake lining gaps start lowering i.e. when they fall in the range of 0 to 0.4 mm, or they become unstable (checked by feeler gauge at inspection window provided on dust cover of S-cam) then it starts impacting brake behavior in the subject vehicles.

There is a higher demand for quieter tractors in the agri-industry, as the continued exposure to noise levels have disastrous effects on operator’s health. To meet the world-wide regulatory norms and to be the global market leader, its mandatory to develop the comfortable tractor which meets homologation requirements and customer expectations. Typically, Operator Ear Level (OEL) noise has been evaluated in the test, after First Proto has been made. This approach increases cost associated with product development due to late changes of modifications and testing trails causing delay in time-to-market aspect. Hence, there is a need to develop the methodology for Predicting tractor OEL noise in virtual environment and propose changes at early stage of product development. At first, full vehicle comprising of skid, sheet metals and Intake-exhaust systems modelled has been built using Finite Element (FE) Preprocessor.

One of the major discomforts while driving any medium to heavy commercial vehicle is brake judder. Brake judder can be defined as vibrations felt on steering wheel or brake pedal or cabin floor, when brakes are applied at certain speeds and pressures. The frequencies of this judder lie as high as 100 Hz to as low as 20 Hz. The brake judder is caused by a number of factors, which makes providing a universal solution difficult. Some of the causes are related to part fitment, part quality, material selection, manufacturing process, Design consideration, environmental factors, etc. This paper gives us a brief idea about resolution of judder problem in intermediate commercial vehicle by series of trials and this methodology can be applied in heavy commercial vehicles also. This paper gives reader an insight about step by step root cause analysis of brake judder on actual vehicle and an approach in resolving the judder problem.

In this era of engine downsizing, the powertrains with higher power densities are configured on next generation vehicles. The bare four cylinder engine without balancer shaft has higher surface velocities, sound pressure & power levels and nearly 10 to 15% higher base level vibration/forces over older generations. Adapting such engines on a new vehicle platform with stringent NVH targets is challenging. Powertrain mount modal analysis, 6DOF or 16DOF is a primary tool followed for initial mount positioning and stiffness definition. From our earlier experiences we have the knowledge that most of the 6DOF iterations lead to the mount positions which are less feasible as per vehicle architecture and packaging point of view, and further optimization is needed to arrive at suitable mount position through 6DOF analysis. In a drive to have first time right solution with minimal modifications, the study was conducted to understand the role of mount position & isolation on different vehicles.

Tractors in the field are exposed to adverse operating conditions and are surrounded by dust and dirt. The tiny, thin and sharp broken straw and husks surround the system in reaper operation. The tractors which are equipped with air conditioning system tend to show detrimental effects in cooling performance. The compressor trips frequently by excess pressure developed in the system due to condenser clogging and hence cooling performance is reduced considerably. The air conditioning performance reduces due to the clogged condenser located on the top roof compartment of operator’s cabin, which is better design than keeping in front of radiator where clogging happens every hour and customer need to stop the tractor to clean it with specific blower.

In sheet metal painting for various applications like tractor and automobiles, most attractive coating is metallic paints. It is widely applied using 3 coat 2 bake or 3 coat 1 bake technology. Both options, results in high energy consumption, higher production through put time and lower productivity in manufacturing process. During various brainstorming and sustainability initiatives, paint application process was identified to reduce burden on environment and save energy. Various other industry benchmarking and field performance requirement studies helped to identify critical quality parameters. There was collaboration with supplier to develop monocoat system without compromising any performance and aesthetic properties. This resulted in achieving better productivity, elimination of two paint layers, substantial reduction in volatile organic content, elimination of one baking cycle and energy saving.

The tractor engine related mounting brackets are very critical due to different aspects of vehicle performance, durability and noise. These mounting bracket have been designed as a framework to support engine external parts like muffler, exhaust tail pipe, alternator etc. Vibration and fatigue has been continuously a concern which may lead to structural failure and performance issues. Various such failures are faced regularly by automotive industry and finite element based analysis are used to resolve them. The resolution is done by playing with the component thicknesses, material, by providing additional support etc. However, due to large degree of uncertainty associated with the loading, boundary conditions, manufacturing, environmental effects; still there is some probability of failure. This paper focuses on a field failure issue of an exhaust system of a tractor and subsequent concern resolution.

For meeting upcoming BS IV & BS V emission norms in Heavy Commercial Vehicles, most of the manufacturers are taking SCR after treatment route. Though SCR system is more complex and involves higher cost impact, an optimized SCR system can bring down the payback period to about one year due to improved fuel economy. For development of an SCR after treatment system, selection of a correct SCR catalyst and its position in the system is very important. NOX conversion efficiency of catalyst depends on exhaust gas temperature at the catalyst and the velocity distribution over the face of the catalyst. Generally catalysts are evaluated for the conversion efficiency in engine test bed. In a drive to have a first-time-right solution, a CFD analysis was carried out considering the low and high flow rate conditions. CFD simulation models and the corresponding results were used as a predictive tool in the exhaust system development process.

The Tractors are inevitable in the world due to its remarkable contribution majorly in farming process and other applications. the farming equipment needs to perform multiple applications to enhance the productivity and increased horsepower demands all-wheel drive (Refer fig. 1) or four-wheel drive option in the tractor. So, it is becoming a mandatory feature. The main objective of this study is, improving the torsional fatigue life in front axle spindle shaft by modifying the spline design and optimizing induction hardening heat treatment process in such a way that the other part of the system will have a minor or no design change. It helps us to reduce the part count variability, lower manufacturing cost and development time.

A tractor is vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort at slow speeds for carrying out various agriculture operations like ploughing, rotavation etc. using implement. Hydraulic system is a key feature which connects these implements with the tractor. It controls the position and draft of the implement depending upon the type of crop, farming stage, implement type and soil conditions. These variations induces extreme range of load on the hydraulic system, thus making it challenging to design these components. Bell crank assembly is one of the main components of hydraulic system which controls the draft (thus, the loads experienced by tractor) through load sensing mechanism. Often bell crank assembly failures are reported from field due to uneven soil hardness and presence of rocks. This paper studies one of such bell crank assembly failures in the field. The failure was reported after half life cycle of usage during agriculture Operation.

Leaf Springs are commonly used as a suspension in heavy commercial vehicles for higher load carrying capacity. The leaf springs connect the vehicle body with road profile through the axle & tire assembly. It provides the relative motion between the vehicle body and road profile to improve the ride & handling performance. The leaf springs are designed to provide linear stiffness and uniform strength characteristics throughout its travel. Leaf springs are generally subjected to dynamic loads which are induced due to different road profiles & driving patterns. Leaf spring design should be robust as any failure in leaf springs will put vehicle safety at risk and cost the vehicle manufacturer their reputation. The design of a leaf spring based on conventional methods predicts the higher stress levels at the leaf spring center clamp location and stress levels gradually reduce from the center to free ends of the leaf spring.

This paper discusses the development of an all speed governed diesel-natural gas dual fuel engine for agricultural farm tractor. A 45 hp, 2.9 liters diesel-natural gas dual fuel engine with a novel closed loop secondary fuel injection system was developed. A frugal approach without any modification of the base mechanical diesel fuel injection system was followed. This approach helped to minimize the cost impact, while meeting performance and emissions at par with neat diesel operation. Additional cost on gas injection system is redeemed by cost savings on diesel fuel. The dual fuel technology developed by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., substitutes on an average approximately 40% of diesel with compressed natural gas, meeting the TREM III A emission norms for dual fuel while meeting all application requirements. The governing performance of the tractor was found to be superior than base diesel tractor.

In farm tractors, the available drawbar power, and Power Take-Off (PTO) power are generally lower than the engine power due to parasitic losses. These losses are caused by engine-driven auxiliary loads such as cooling fans, hydraulic pumps for power steering, alternators, etc. Minimizing these parasitic losses can increase the available drawbar power and PTO power, resulting in direct fuel savings by reducing fuel consumption. The continuous increase in fuel costs and the environmental impact of emitted gases from burned fuel into the atmosphere have necessitated the replacement of hydraulic power steering and mechanical fans with Electric Power Steering (EPS) and electric fans, respectively, to improve efficiency. The existing battery has been replaced with a higher capacity battery to provide power to the electric fan, electric power steering, and other electrical components.