Allison Transmission Holdings Inc., the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions, announces a partnership with Bell Equipment, a world leader in the off-highway vehicle and equipment business headquartered in South Africa. In addition to utilizing the Allison 4800 ORS in an industry leading 60-ton articulated dump truck (ADT), Allison introduced the 3400ORS transmission for the Bell B30E (ADT). Additionally, the South African manufacturer has recently announced the extension of Allison Transmission as their exclusive transmission supplier for the next 5 years.
“Allison Transmission is pleased to be the exclusive transmission supplier for the complete range of Bell ADTs,” says Pierre Du Plessis, Allison Transmission Account Manager and Market Developer for South Africa. “Our Allison 2000, 3000 and 4000 Series transmissions used in Bell trucks are exceptionally durable and high performing making them ideally suited for the severe environments where they will be used.”
Bell Equipment’s partnership with Allison dates back to the 1970s when the company, which was founded in 1954 as an agricultural solutions provider, began using Allison transmissions in their haulage tractors. The company has now chosen to standardize Allison Transmission’s products across its full portfolio of ADTs and haulage tractors.
“Our customers in the mining, quarrying, construction and agricultural sectors have become accustomed to the reliability, smooth gear changes and low fuel consumption that Bell machines are able to deliver due in part to the contribution of Allison transmissions,” says Tristan du Pisanie, Bell Equipment’s ADT Product Manager. “These efficient and advanced transmissions allow us to offer market leading solutions to our customers to keep them at the forefront of technology that is focused on reducing operational costs and enhancing their ownership experience.”
Based on the 3000 Series platform, the 3400ORS is used in Bell’s 30-ton heavy-duty truck and is engineered to offer unparalleled durability and value over the lifecycle. This transmission is equipped with the xFE (extra fuel economy) gear ratio set and designed to deliver significantly more torque converter lock-up operation and spend more time in higher ranges at lower engine speeds, producing exceptional fuel savings.
ADTs that utilize Allison transmissions will accelerate faster and operate at higher average speeds, allowing them to make more runs per day, boosting productivity. Higher horsepower and a torque converter with Continuous Power Technology provide increased performance and vehicle control to transport industry-leading payloads. Bell vehicles also feature DynActive shifting capability to further optimize fuel economy by adjusting the shift point based on the vehicle weight and road grade.