Volvo launches I-Shift with crawler gears

The newest member of the Volvo I-Shift family is the I-Shift with crawler gears. The new gears, which are added to the automated transmission, provide exceptional moving off power from stationary for trucks carrying heavy loads in demanding situations, the company said.

This new version of I-Shift makes it possible to add up to two new crawler gears. It helps a heavy truck to move off from a standstill and transport a gross combination weight (GCW) of up to 325 tonnes.

Peter Hardin, Volvo Trucks product manager for FM and FMX, said, “I-Shift with crawler gears offers an entirely new scope for heavy trucks with automated transmission to regulate their speed when crawling slowly and reversing. The driver can haul a heavy load without worrying about getting into situations that may lead to costly standstills.”

With the new crawler gears, the truck can drive at speeds as low as 0.5 to 2 kilometres per hour. This helps immensely during precision manoeuvres such as in construction and maintenance tasks, Volvo explained.

“The vastly improved drive and moving off ability makes the driver’s job far easier when operating in difficult terrain on slippery surfaces with heavy loads, such as at construction sites, in mines or in forests. The heavier the transport operation and the poorer the surface or the terrain, the more the driver gains from a truck with crawler gears,” said Hardin.

Crawler gears also offer considerable flexibility and the possibility of improved fuel economy, the company said.

Depending on application area, I-Shift is available with one or two forward crawler gears, and with or without two reverse crawler gears. Reverse crawler gears make it possible to reverse very slowly, an advantage when reversing manoeuvres require high precision.

details of the new gear include the following:

• The transmission is available as either a direct drive or overdrive gearbox with one or two crawler ratios. It is also possible to specify two extra reverse crawler gears
• The crawler gears are integrated into the I-Shift transmission. To handle the high loads, components are made of high-strength materials. The gearbox is 120 mm longer than a conventional I-Shift unit
• I-Shift with crawler gears is available for Volvo Trucks’ 13 and 16 litre engines in the Volvo FM, Volvo FMX, Volvo FH and Volvo FH16 tractors