and mechatronic solutions for power transmission, this challenge has been pursued from the bottom line. The company has
PRODUCTS & SERVICES MATTEO GARUTI
Easy does it WITH MOST STANDARD GEARBOXES ENABLING SHIFTING ONLY WHILE AT STANDSTILL, MANY OPERATORS ARE CALLING FOR A MORE EFFICIENT – YET INEXPENSIVE – METHOD. THE ANSWER IS THE EASY SHIFT…
In recent years, the Comer Industries brand has become an increasingly well-known player in the transmissions and axles business. It has become a focused player for wheeled vehicles, supplying the major manufacturers in the worldwide construction, industrial and agricultural markets. In particular, it has developed a comprehensive range of axles and transmissions for applications in off-highway vehicles such as telehandlers, sweepers, road construction machinery and agricultural machinery. Of course, manufacturers of off-highway machinery are constantly looking for new high-performance solutions to fulfill the increasing requests from their demanding customers. Some of the machines they produce require an extreme combination of speed and tractive effort, capable of pulling heavy loads – sometimes as high as the machine’s weight, at speeds of up to 40km/h when traveling on-road. Many transmission suppliers are producing twospeed gearboxes, a competitive solution that enables work at different speeds and duties: a low reduction ratio (second speed) when driving quickly during transportation, and a high reduction ratio (first speed) to ensure maximum torque is delivered to the wheels in working conditions. The problem is that standard gearboxes are normally ‘stand-still’, allowing shifting only when the machine is fully stopped. To shift gear while running is much more sophisticated, and in this case expensive transmissions must be used, such as powershift. At Comer Industries, a global leader in the design and production of advanced engineering systems and mechatronic solutions for power transmission, this challenge has been pursued from the bottom line. The company has developed a solution that combines the needs of a two-speed transmission and
RIGHT: Together with the Easy Shift gearbox, the S-238 axle with 12-ton dynamic load capacity and 2,400 daNm output torque represents a perfect fit for high-performance machines
LEFT: Sectional view of the Easy Shift twospeed gearbox, showing input shaft driven by the hydraulic motor at the top and output shaft with idle gears beneath. The synchronizer is shown between output gears and can slide left and right to engage the selected speed ABOVE: The cylinder for gear engagement and the sensors to ensure the correct engagement can be seen in this external view
allows gears to shift while the machine is running. The system is called Easy Shift and it has been achieved by adding a synchronizer between the two driven gears of the transmission. Paolo Negri, product line director powertrain at Comer Industries, explains, “The off-highway market is in continuous evolution: users are demanding to improve the comfort, performance and productivity of their vehicles, while maintaining a good balance between cost and benefit. Easy Shift is the perfect answer to their demands.”
Winning combination In essence, an Easy Shift gearbox works in combination with the electronic control that manages multiple
components and functions of the machine: vehicle speed, hydraulic shift command, the hydraulic motor and the working pressure of the motor. When gearshifting is required, the software disengages the gear and swivels the hydraulic motor to zero displacement, disconnecting in this way the transmission between hydraulics and wheels, and working rather like the clutch in a car. In this condition, the synchronizer can operate properly and when the pressure to shift into a new gear is given, the synchronizer starts to be effective, equalizing the speed of the gears and allowing the complete gear engagement. The Easy Shift solution is expected to open a new future for machine manufacturers to satisfy their most demanding customers without the need for using complex, expensive transmissions for this purpose. With the Easy Shift two-speed gearbox, Comer Industries is fulfilling its strategy of expanding axle and transmission product ranges for off-highway and agricultural machines with innovative solutions that will be compliant with the latest requests of these markets. iVT Matteo Garuti is key account manager powertrain at Comer Industries FREE READER INQUIRY SERVICE To learn more about this advertiser, visit www.ukipme.com/info/ivm Ref: 508
iVTInternational.com March 2015
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