Volvo’s fully automatic Powertronic transmission is specially developed for heavy transport and tough conditions. The Powertronic also supports manual gear changing.

Modern equipment incorporated

What I found most interesting about the Götheborg was that while on the surface the ship looks exactly the same as the original built back in 1738 at the Terra Nova ship yard in Stockholm, Sweden, under the surface lay a host of modern equipment that was not even invented back in 1738. These included two 550 hp engines, two power stations, a boiler and compressor - and even a propeller, on a sailing ship nogal!

Part of the rationale behind equipping this ancient craft with such modern paraphernalia is because the ship is sailing through much busier waters than the original did back in the 18th century. For safety reasons therefore, the new ship has been equipped with engines and propellers in order to manoeuvre her safety in narrow waters.

On the one hand we were seeing what the ancient mariners had to contend with when they went exploring the world while on the other, we were seeing what progress has done to make that same task so much safer and easier. My guess is that if the organizers had asked the 80 or so crew to venture out of Stockholm on a craft which contained only those features that were available in the 18th Century, they would have probably faced a strike action. Adding modern technology to the pioneering inventiveness of old must have added some degree of comfort to the crew who were to sail her. And so it did.

While walking around the deck of that grand ship, it struck me that the trucking industry in South Africa is a bit like the Götheborg. On the one hand you have the ‘sailors of old’ – in our case truckers of old - in the form of those die-hard ADE engine lovers who still long for the ‘good old days’ when a truck was a simple thing that anyone could work on and manage. Sure there was danger but you generally got through the storms using a simple spanner as your helper.

On the other hand, you have get those ‘truckers’ who have fully embraced the new technology that the truck manufacturers have introduced onto their crafts to help those same sailors contend with the new operating conditions facing them out on the road. Just as the new Götheborg is facing busier waters than the original ship did back in 1738, so too is the trucking industry facing busier roads than it did back in the early 1980s. And just as the Götheborg needs more modern equipment and technology to help guide it through those busy waters, so too do the truckers of today need more than they did back in the 1980s to help guide them. GPS, or satellite tracking, for example, wasn’t even heard of in the trucking industry in the 1980s. Now it is commonplace.

Of course, a whole lot of other operational conditions have changed since the 1980s. In fact, the waters through which the trucks steered in the 1980s were much calmer than they are today. Just-in-Time delivery schedules, for example, are now the order of the day whereas back then, Any-Time delivery was OK. Being late with a delivery would not have lost you a client then. Today, late deliveries are not tolerated.

The Götheborg of old did not run to a strict time scale while completing its three lucrative voyages from Sweden to China before running aground at the end of its fourth journey. Today’s Götheborg, on the other hand, is running to a strict time-table so the modern technology and equipment is once again helpful in this regard. There are so many similarities and it was perhaps apt therefore, that Volvo Southern Africa chose the arrival of the Götheborg as the ideal time to launch its new arrivals in the form of the upgraded Volvo FH and FM models.

Just as the designers of the new Götheborg realised that an exact replica of the original without modern equipment would fail the task under today’s new operating conditions and challenges, so do have Volvo Truck’s engineers and designers followed the same rationale. Without compromising on the good features of the previous FH and FM models, they have added numerous new and upgraded features to make the task faced by these trucks so much easier and more efficient. In other words, to deliver more transport performance to the operator.

Completely new engine

Take the completely new 13-litre engine, the D13A, which replaces the former 12-litre unit dubbed the D12D. The new D13A engine retains all the strengths of the D12D but, just as with the Götheborg, has been improved in many respects.

For example, the stroke length has been increased for greater cylinder volume and higher torque. According to Mats Franzén, manager engine strategy and planning for Volvo Trucks, the higher torque gives the engine a broader range of applications making it even more suitable for heavy jobs such as construction operations or driving with heavy trailers.

The torque has been increased by approximately 200 Nm and spans a broad speed range. The power will be very fast at both high and low engine revs. The result is faster acceleration and better driveability with fewer gear changes. The engine’s hill-climbing ability has also been improved and higher torque allows faster rear axle ratios and lower engine revs. This allows more scope for fuel-efficient driving.

Showing off the new D13A engine which powers trucks such as the Volvo FM pictured above are, from left: Volvo (SA) Trucks divisional manager Graham Thomson, Anders Lindblad, area director of Africa, the Middle East and MD of Volvo Southern Africa, and Claes Svedburg, president of Volvo Trucks, International Division who came out especially for the new model launch.

The weight of the engine has also been reduced by 20 kgs and thanks to Volvo’s own, advanced casting technique, the dimensions have been reduced without comprising on durability. The transmission is now located on the rear edge of the engine, helping to limit the engine’s weight. The engine power has been increased by approximately 20 bhp and the combination of reduced weight and increased power allows a higher average speed to be maintained thus helping to increase cost-effectiveness.

In addition to all this, the D13A is the first Volvo engine that supports closed crankcase ventilation (CCV). The gases from the cylinder head cover are recirculated to the turbo unit via an oil separator with a centrifuge, keeping the engine clean and leakfree. The centrifuge system requires no maintenance whatsoever.

The dimensions of the piston pins have also been increased. The pistons are of a monoblock design and made of forged steel, with a piston cooling system. To increase access, the power take-off has been moved to the rear edge of the engine. The standard is 650Nm but up to 1 000 Nm is available as an option.

And how’s this for a benefit? With the introduction of the new D13A, the oil change interval will increase to 100 000 kms or one year. "Overall, the new D13 engine offers excellent opportunities for high costeffectiveness and exceptional driving enjoyment," says Franzén.

The D13A is available locally with power outputs of 400, 440 and 480hp in the FH variant and in 400hp in the FM model. The 400hp produces 294Kw @ 1400 - 1800 rpm with a torque of 2000Nm @1040 – 1400 rpm. The 440hp produces 324Kw @ 1400- 1800 rpm with a torque of 2200Nm @ 1040 – 1400 rpm; and the 480hp produces 353Kw @ 1400 - 1800 rpm with a torque of 2400Nm @ 1040 – 1400rpm. The development of the new engines involved an investment totaling 300 million Euros.

All models are available in single and hub reduction and gross vehicle mass ranges from 21 tonnes through to 42 tonnes depending on application.

New generation I-Shift

Another significant enhancement to the FH and FM ranges – and one which the ‘truck sailors’ of today will welcome - is the incorporation of Volvo Trucks’ upgraded intelligent I-Shift transmission which is stronger, smoother and quieter than its predecessor and can handle tougher  operations and more applications. The fully automatic Powertronic transmission has also been upgraded and now has higher momentum capacity and a wider range of applications. A line of new rear axles further increases the customer’s choice.

I-Shift is Volvo’s automatic gear changing system. It is a 12-speed, electronically controlled range/splitter gearbox designed for automatic gear changing while also allowing manual gear changing.

"I-Shift can save the driver a couple of thousand gear changes per day," says Ove Wikström, product manager drivetrain for Volvo Trucks. "It makes driving both comfortable and fuelefficient – a perfect solution for highpace long-haul operations. Thanks to these benefits, we confidently expect the number of I-Shift users to increase sharply – perhaps even double – in the next two to three years."

The new generation I-Shift transmission is smaller than the previous one, making it possible to use shorter wheelbases. It is also lighter despite its capacity for higher momentum and gross combination weights. Lower friction losses also make it more fuel-efficient.

The new I-Shift is also stronger than the previous generation. It has capacity for up to 2 500 Nm which means maximum torque for the D13A engine. Thanks to higher performance and an improved gear changing strategy, the new I-Shift offers better comfort and driveability. It is also more efficient when driving in traffic jams and shunting.

Divisional manager for Volvo (SA) Trucks Graham Thomson tells us that whereas the previous I-Shift was limited to 44 tons GCM, the new unit can, as standard, be combined with up to 60 tonnes GCM. In certain conditions, I-Shift is approved all the way up to 130 tonnes and can handle both heavy construction operations and poor roads.

These are just two of the major enhancements to the new generation Volvo FM trucks. Other features have been incorporated that make for safer and more comfortable driving with a lot of accent placed on creating a pleasant, comfortable working environment for the driver. "Many of the changes are not visible at first glance but the driver will see them as significant improvements, both while driving and resting," says Jenny Blomqvist, product manager, cab and electric for Volvo Trucks.

Environmental considerations to meet stringent emissions legislation have also been taken into account with features added to make these vehicles the cleanest yet produced by Volvo.

By all accounts, the old Volvo FH and FM models could be likened to the original 1738 Götheborg ship. The new generation models are designed with upgraded, modern technology and equipment to give a more efficient and comfortable sail. I wouldn’t mind being the skipper of one of them.