Dana launching range of Spicer axles for rough terrain cranes and forklifts in China

Dana Holding Corporation announces that the company will take advantage of its advanced engineering resources, world-class supply chain and quality-driven manufacturing capabilities in China to develop a new series of Spicer axles for rough terrain cranes and an axle specially designed for forklift trucks and other medium-sized material-handling equipment.

Dana is developing and testing a series of three heavy-duty steer Spicer drive axles for rough terrain cranes with lift capacities from 30 to 90 tonnes (33 to 100 tons), as well as a Spicer 37R FLT rigid planetary axle specially designed for forklift trucks and container handlers with lift capacities from 10 to 16 tonnes (11 to 18 tons).

Prototypes of the rough terrain crane axles will be available in the fourth quarter of 2015, with production beginning in mid-2016. The Spicer 37R FLT axle for heavy-duty material-handling applications will be offered as a prototype in 2016, with production expected by the end of 2016.

“We have made substantial investments in our Chinese operations to further strengthen our industry-leading engineering expertise, supply chain, quality assurance and manufacturing capabilities,” says Aziz Aghili, President of Dana Off-Highway Driveline Technologies. “We have proven the ability of our Chinese resources to meet high global standards for quality, durability and performance in the demanding mining and forestry industries, and we will build on our success as we develop these new axles for use worldwide as well.”

The new Spicer 36S, 42S and 48S steer drive axles have been specified to address the majority of rough terrain cranes sold globally today. Dana will build on its leadership in supplying transmissions and driveshafts to the crane market by offering axles with superior pick-and-carry, over-end and over-corner load lift performance; advanced sealing and lubrication technologies for durability in harsh working environments; and other design enhancements.

The Spicer 37R FLT rigid planetary axle for material-handling applications builds on a proven, flexible platform that has been used for mining, forestry, and construction vehicles for more than a decade.

The Spicer 37R FLT axle features a modular load-bearing structure including the differential carrier, housing arms, high-energy wet brakes, and inboard planetary gearing. It will offer Posi-Torq and Hydra-Lok differential designs that provide excellent torque bias performance in a wide range of ground traction conditions.

Dana launched these new axles at INTERMAT 2015.