Navistar announces that it will be first-to-market with the Eaton Procision line of dual-clutch transmissions for its International DuraStar medium-duty trucks and IC Bus CE Series school buses, available in late 2015. Based on Eaton's testing, the new seven-speed transmissions deliver a significant fuel economy advantage compared to a similarly equipped vehicle with a torque converter automatic transmission. The Eaton Procision transmission features a dual-clutch design and electronic shifting that uses grade, vehicle weight and throttle input to provide optimal fuel efficiency and smooth, continuous delivery of torque.
"Through our partnership with Eaton, we're offering our customers advanced technologies that provide safe and easy operation for any driver," says Jeff Sass, Navistar Senior Vice President, North America Truck Sales and Marketing. "Coupled with the reliability of our medium-duty platform, the Eaton Procision transmission delivers the uptime and efficiency our customers require in many driving environments."
The Eaton Procision dual-clutch technology allows for more efficient acceleration from a stopped position and optimizes shift points that will efficiently get to the highest gear. Gear changes are made by swapping the engine torque between clutches with the next gear preselected. The dual-clutch module is fully contained within the transmission, hydraulically controlled and oil cooled for extended life.
The Eaton Procision includes features such as Eaton Dynamic Shifting, which allows the transmission to automatically switch between economy and performance shift schedules based on mass, grade and driver demand. Available torque, engine acceleration and grade drive dynamically modified base shift results. Economy and performance shift tables can be adjusted to tune an overall calibration to meet any customer's specific needs.
Eaton Procision transmissions utilize a new synthetic transmission fluid that provides component protection while reducing maintenance costs, as part of 150,000 mile or 4-year lube and filter change intervals. The internal sump filter and electrical system do not require maintenance.
Procision gives drivers more control in all situations and best-in-class low speed maneuverability thanks to features such as Hill Helper, Creep Mode and Tap Down Shifting.
"Customers told us that they wanted features that made their trucks easier to drive," says Jeff Carpenter, Eaton Medium-Duty Procision Engineering Manager. "So, we engineered a host of features that instill confidence and maximize efficiency for operators with routes on hilly, difficult terrain, or those who navigate tight turns and traffic as part of an urban route."
Eaton is a recognized leader in commercial vehicle transmissions. To prove the reliability of Procision, over 100 truck years of testing in a variety of geographies, vocations and duty cycles were performed. This confidence is expressed by a 3-year/unlimited mile warranty which covers the complete system—including the dual-clutch module—in commercial vehicle applications, and a 5-year/unlimited mile warranty in school bus applications.