Meritor Inc. [MTOR] said two new electronic systems offer the traction and mobility to keep military vehicles rolling through different terrain and extreme conditions.
The Marines and Army are expected to be first-time users of the systems, which can be integrated into any military vehicle with an onboard air compressor.
Building on Meritor’s heritage of advanced engineering, SmartFlow™ Central Tire Inflation System (CTIS) and DriveCommand™ Drivetrain Control (DTC) deliver customized tire pressure and drivetrain management through mud, sand and snow, on highways and cross-country, and in emergency situations.
“Both systems improve vehicle performance for warfighters in extreme conditions because drivers can easily control tire pressure, differential locking and transfer case positioning,” said Tim Burns, vice president, North America, Meritor. “Our engineering investment in developing these two electronic systems extends our defense product line to include wheel valves and electronics. The systems can potentially cross over into other segments, including commercial vehicle.”
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| Photo: Meritor |
The lightweight systems are independently controlled by a single human machine interface (HMI) unit and mount easily in the cab or on the chassis of High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs) and Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV).
SmartFlow CTIS automatically monitors and adjusts tire inflation as needed with a single pneumatic control unit (PCU), whether the vehicle is in motion or stationary. Tire pressure can be altered to tires independently or through all four tires simultaneously. The system detects when the tire is leaking and will determine if it should continue inflating with air. This function extends tire and wheel component life and reduces maintenance costs.
Meritor Defense, which has been offering front and rear locking differentials and transfer cases, now extends the package with the addition of the DriveCommand DTC drivetrain management system. A single PCU actively monitors and controls locking the differentials and positions the transfer case for maximized traction to deliver superior performance over a wide range of terrain. DriveCommand DTC engages automatically when the driver selects a mobility mode on the HMI panel.
Meritor’s Controls, Software and Mechatronics group was recently appraised at Maturity Level 2 of the CMMI Institute’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). The appraisal was conducted by Process Assessment, Consulting and Training, LLC.
“Passing all nine areas at Capability Level 2 validates Meritor as a credible supplier of software,” said Simon Dean, senior director, Global Electronic Systems, Simulation and Validation, Meritor.
Meritor’s electronic systems are fully supported by Meritor DriveForce™, the company’s North American sales and service organization, and the OnTrac technical support center.
Both SmartFlow CTIS and DriveCommand DTC will be featured in an interactive display at Modern Day Marine, at Meritor Defense booth 2704.