Automatic transmissions for heavy-duty equipment have been rare, most being considered too fragile for harsh environments and better suited to on-road use. That challenge has been met by Allison Transmissions.
Allison Transmission is a designer and manufacturer of vehicle propulsion solutions for commercial and defense vehicles, the largest global manufacturer of medium-duty and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, and a leader in electrified propulsion systems that, according to the company’s slogan, “Improve the Way the World Works.” Its products are used in a wide variety of applications, including on-highway trucks such as construction, fire, and emergency vehicles, school and coach buses, motorhomes, defense vehicles and off-highway vehicles and equipment with energy, mining, and construction applications.
Recently, a fleet of 101 WBMD (wide body mining dump) trucks with Allison transmissions was ordered by Xinjiang Tiantuo Jiye Mechanic Engineering Co., a mining and infrastructure company, based in Xinjiang, China. The company, also known as Heishan Fleet, ordered Tonly WBMD trucks equipped with Allison 4800 ORS (off road series) automatic transmissions.
This award represents a milestone in Allison’s goal of capturing market share in the global wide body mining dump truck market, a growth opportunity in excess of $50 million of annual revenue for Allison’s Outside North America On-Highway end market.
Heishan Fleet has been operating Allison equipped WBMD trucks for a few months, mostly in open pit coal mining, a very harsh environment requiring long shifts for trucks and drivers. According to Heishan Fleet’s management, the use of the trucks has increase productivity by carrying more loads per day due to powerful performance, faster acceleration, and ease of operation. The new WMBD trucks have an estimated 10% increase in productivity compared to trucks with manual transmissions.
In addition, the new trucks have significantly reduced maintenance costs. Aside from periodic oil and filter changes, repairs are not often needed, which also reduces vehicle downtime and further enhances productivity. When the 4800 ORS transmissions do need maintenance, Allison’s service network provides a fast response.
Purchased from Shaanxi Tonly Heavy Industries Co., Ltd., a leader in China’s mining dump truck industry, the Tonly 96-ton mining truck is powered by a 390kW Weichai engine rated at 2300 Nm torque and Allison’s 4800 ORS equipped with an engine-driven Power Take-Off (PTO) and a hydraulic retarder for enhanced braking, enabling optimized driving performance for off-road, heavy duty-cycle operations.
Designed to increase efficiency and reliability for medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles in a wide variety of applications, Allison fully automatic transmissions are known for their patented Continuous Power Technology, featuring a hydraulic torque converter which smoothly multiplies peak engine torque, delivering more power to the wheels than other transmission technology.
Allison’s 4800 ORS transmissions are specifically designed for the severe duty-cycles trucks face in mining environments. Rigid, wide-body and articulated dump trucks outfitted with Allison Automatics accelerate quickly and smoothly on all kinds of terrain including gravel roads, loose soil, mud, or steep grades.
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