4 minute read
Delivering advanced axle solutions Meritor HVS
DELIVERING ADVANCED AXLE SOLUTIONS
Meritor HVS is a global leader in the design and manufacture of drivetrain components and safety systems for commercial vehicles with a special focus on axles and brake assemblies. Philip Yorke talked to Napanda Poovaiah Thimmaiah, CEO of Meritor India, about its latest investments in new technology and growing involvement in the military vehicles sector.
Meritor HVS (India) is a joint venture company and a subsidiary of Meritor Inc USA and Kalyani Pune India, and is the largest independent axle manufacturer in India. The company supplies advanced drivetrain solutions including axles and brakes for heavy vehicles in the commercial, military and off-highway sectors. Meritor HVS has its own in-house design, development and testing facilities in order to provide the most advanced and cost-efficient drivetrain solutions for its OEM commercial vehicle sector customers.
With more than 100 years of experience in the design and manufacture of axles for commercial vehicles, Meritor HVS has become the world’s largest independent producer of truck axles for a broad range of vehicle applications. Thanks to its unique expertise, Meritor HVS has mastered the combination of precision engineering, component durability and lightweight construction, to bring optimised drivetrain solutions to the commercial vehicle industry. Meritor’s product portfolio includes drive-axles, brakes and suspension
interfaces, which are all designed to offer greater strength at lighter weights for increased payloads and higher operating efficiencies. Today Meritor HVS India employs more than 2000 people and in 2014 recorded sales of more than US$150 million.
Driven by safety
Meritor is also an acknowledged world leader when it comes to brake assemblies for commercial vehicles, both in its size and manufacturing capabilities. The company supplies more than 2 million brake assemblies every year for trucks, trailers, buses and coaches, as well as for vehicles operating in the emergency services and the defence industry.
Meritor is driven by safety and is committed to optimising the efficiency of every braking product that it produces, from drum and airdisc brakes to hubs and automatic slack adjusters for hydraulic braking systems and friction products. In addition, its ‘Platinum Shield®’ coating technology is also available to protect brakes from rust-jacking, to extend brake-shoe life and provide increased value for its customers.
Thimmaiah said, “We continue to invest heavily in R&D and new technology in order to maintain our leading position in the marketplace and to provide increased value for our customers. Our advanced drivetrain products are manufactured to satisfy the demands of our home market but increasingly for overseas markets too. Europe remains our biggest overseas market with other regions such as South America and China demonstrating interesting potential for us. In addition to our strong commercial vehicle markets we are also seeing growth in our military vehicle sector, which is an area that we are becoming increasingly involved in.
“In order to meet these increasing demands we have invested in a brand new, purpose built, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility here in Mysore that extends to over 50,000 square metres.
Thimmaiah added, “In North America, our Meritor Wabco joint venture also supplies active safety systems such as pneumatic and hydraulic anti-lock braking systems for tractors and trailers, as well as stability control and collision avoidance systems. Our mission is to not only meet contemporary breaking systems but to keep advancing the cause of safety, wherever it may apply. Based upon current projections, we expect to see consistent growth of around 8 per cent per year and will not be considering entering into further acquisitions or joint ventures in the foreseeable future.”
Meritor HVS India recently organised a major fleet-owner event to showcase its latest two-speed axle, which is also known as the Meritor ‘Green axle’ due to its lightweight and energy-saving characteristics. Fleet owners from across the continent attended the two-day event to understand the benefits of the two-speed axle, which offers a 7–12 per cent improvement in fuel economy and a 14–28 per cent reduction in turnaround time. In addition to its two-speed axle, Meritor also showed off its latest broad range of trailer axles.
Underscoring its ability to set new industry benchmarks, Meritor also announced recently that its US facility is seeing strong demand
for its Meritor 14X tandem-drive axles. As the lightest axles in its class, the 14X has the fastest axle ratio in the industry and the most fuel-efficient solution for vehicles with direct drive transmissions. The axle also embodies the all-new industry benchmark axle breather, which prevents water and other contaminants from entering the carrier while keeping essential lubrication in place.
Furthermore, Meritor’s 14X axle not only handles up to 2050 foot-pounds of torque, but also provides fleet owners with reduced maintenance and down-time. Drivers of vehicles with 14X axles are further rewarded with a smooth ride due to significantly reduced driveline vibration.
Since its introduction, the new Meritor 14X axle has exceeded all performance and reliability expectations to become the most widely adopted axle in the commercial vehicle industry worldwide. n
For further information about Meritor HVS’s latest ground-breaking products and after sale services visit: www.mhvsil.com
