TMC, NASHVILLE -- Eaton and Cummins have added the ISX12 diesel to the SmartAdvantage powertrain portfolio while upping the gross vehicle weight for the previously announced Advantage Series/ISX15 diesel combination to 110,000 pounds. Both new configurations will be available later this year, the companies say.
Speaking at a media event at the American Trucking Associations’ annual Technology & Maintenance Council meeting in Nashville, executives from both companies said that the product announcement is a continuation of the long-standing collaboration between Eaton and Cummins, and builds upon the announcement one year ago of the SmartAdvantage Powertrain for the ISX15 engine.
“Cummins and Eaton continue to collaborate on powertrain solutions for the North American on-highway markets that we serve,” said Lori Thompson, Cummins Vice President – Truck and Bus OEM Business. “The latest SmartAdvantage Powertrain offerings are a natural extension of the initial product, and will provide customers with the fuel economy and productivity improvements they desire, along with a broad range of applications to meet their specific hauling needs.”
Cummins and Eaton say over 80 customers have taken delivery of trucks with the SmartAdvantage ISX15 package or have orders pending.
“The level of integration and advanced technology in the SmartAdvantage Powertrain delivers a package that both fleet owners and professional drivers are thrilled with,” said John Beering, Senior Vice President and General Manager – Commercial Vehicle Transmission Business, Eaton. “Our teams continue to receive feedback from our customers and, in turn, deliver the kind of integration between the transmission and engine that is best-in-class in the North American heavy-duty truck market.”
The new SmartAdvantage offering will pair the Eaton Fuller Advantage Series 10-speed Automated Manual Transmission with the Cummins ISX12 diesel engine. It will be offered as a small-ratio-step overdrive model with two new Cummins ISX12 SmartTorque2 ratings:
- ISX12 370ST2, with 1,150 lb-ft to 1,450 lb-ft,
- ISX12 425ST2, with 1,350 lb-ft to 1,650 lb-ft.
The new combination has been designed specifically to work smarter to maximize fuel economy benefits. Cummins' new ISX12 ST2 ratings are the next generation of today’s SmartTorque ratings, and precisely manage the power needed for the load demand. Vehicle Acceleration Management is a patented Cummins electronic feature that manages vehicle acceleration for smoother shifting. The feature contributes to fuel economy benefits in stop-and-go duty cycles found in regional haul applications.
Through a combination of hardware and software enhancements, the powertrain package benefits include:
Integrated power, fuel and shifting strategies to provide an estimated 2 percent to 4 percent fuel economy improvement for regional haul applications;
Optimized engine and transmission communications and new control logic, enabling further engine downspeeding in the overdrive position, and more effective use of direct-drive technology under appropriate operational conditions.
Eaton’s Fuller Advantage Series transmissions have lower overall package weight and improved reliability due to the elimination of the cooler. Combined with the use of aluminum for the rear transmission housing, range cylinder, shift bar housing and the shift tower -- and a thin-wall cast-iron main case design -- the new transmission weighs 82 pounds less than Eaton’s
UltraShift PLUS LAS base model. A new Precision Lubrication system for precise and efficient transmission lubrication further enhances fuel economy by reducing churning losses.
This newest SmartAdvantage powertrain package will be available in the fall of 2014, and is currently undergoing field testing, with initial test results confirming a 2 percent to 4 percent fuel economy improvement, depending on duty cycle and application, the companies say.
