Oerlikon Fairfield presented its innovative electric drive system for off-highway vehicles at this week’s Agritechnica 2017 (November 12-18) in Hannover, Germany.
The system integrates an Oerlikon Fairfield Torque Hub planetary drive with an interior permanent magnet motor produced by Ashwoods Electrical Motors to create an ultra-compact drive solution that is up to 30% smaller and lighter and 20% more efficient than traditional motors used in off-highway traction applications.
The journey to e-mobility in Oerlikon Fairfield started more than 15 years ago, with a project to convince a long-time customer to switch their machine from hydraulic to electric.
An Oerlikon Fairfield spokesperson said, “The improved efficiency, small package size and competitive cost of this latest integrated solution sets a new benchmark for electric drives in the off-highway sector.
“The unit is so compact that it enables vehicle manufacturers to provide a steerable four-wheel-drive configuration where previously there was not enough space to offer this possibility.”
The complete unit can deliver 4000Nm of drive torque and 5600Nm of braking torque, yet the motor is up to 30% smaller and lighter than current production solutions that use larger, less efficient brushed DC or induction motors coupled to a planetary gearbox. The Oerlikon Fairfield/Ashwoods Electric Motors solution provides a triple planetary ratio in the length of the standard double planetary design.
Combining the two technologies with an integrated ultra-electric parking brake has enabled the elimination of several duplicated or redundant components; for example, a common shaft is used for motor, brake and transmission. This approach saves weight, cost and package space.
The Oerlikon Fairfield Torque-Hub planetary drive is already well-proven and widely used in off-highway vehicles and is available in single planetary, double planetary, triple planetary and differential planetary gearing configurations to meet the individual torque and operating speed requirements of different applications.
November 17, 2017
