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Eaton Corporation, Hitching a ride

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Manufacturing in Action, Source : The Manufacturer
Published : July 2003

Julia Smith hitches a ride with the truck division of Eaton Corporation, a leading global player in the design and manufacture of highly innovative drivetrain systems and components for commercial vehicles

Eaton Corporation is a company with an unusually diverse portfolio. Its principal products include electrical power distribution and control equipment, truck transmissions, engine components, hydraulic products, ion implanters and a wide range of control devices. What holds this portfolio together is the emphasis throughout on engineering innovation and excellence. These have been a byword for Eaton since it began.

The company can trace its operations in Europe back to 1946 when it acquired a company making motor pumps and gears. While it may have extended its reach into many new markets over the last six decades, it has also achieved an unparalleled reputation for its ground-breaking highly engineered contributions to the European truck industry, particularly medium and heavy-duty trucks. Key products are transmissions and clut-ches and Eaton also markets a complete range of drive axles and brakes suitable for vehicles from eight to 44 tonnes.

Back in 1958, Eaton introduced the revolutionary Fuller twin counterhaft transmission. The value of that design has been proved by its extraordinary long lifecycle. Almost four million systems have been sold since it was first brought to market. Much more recently, the Eaton Fuller Autoshift transmission design represents a major innovation improving efficiency and convenience for truck operators. Designed for medium and heavy-duty trucks, Eaton’s clutchless datalink shifting combines the economy and dependable performance of a manual system with the easy-to-drive convenience of an automatic. The Autoshift transmissions eliminate lever shifts with an advanced shift-by-wire system consisting of an Eaton Fuller transmission linked to electronic controls.

When it comes to safety, Eaton’s patented VORAD system is considered the most sophisti-cated accident avoidance system available to the industry. VORAD is a high frequency radar system that transmits radar signals from the front and side of a truck. When it detects a potential hazard, a small display unit on the dash emits a combination of lights and audible tones to warn the driver to take evasive action before an accident happens. It means that drivers have total awareness of the road in all types of weather and traffic conditions, even potential hazards ahead, such as a stopped or slow-moving vehicle ahead or hazards in the driver’s blind spot. Taking the concept a stage further, the SMARTCRUISE option provides further safety by automatically reducing engine speed if a truck gets too close to the vehicle ahead.

Maintenance is a costly and time wasting exercise for truck fleets - optimum availability of vehicles is critical to any operator’s bottom line. Eaton has responded with the Fuller Solo Clutch which offers enormous gains. It is the industry’s first maintenance-free clutch and offers the longest dependable life of any heavy-duty clutch on the market. The Fuller Solo Clutch never needs adjustment or lubrication and is available both as original equipment or as a replacement for the long-running Eaton Fuller transmissions.

With these sort of products, it is not surprising that Eaton has steadily reached beyond its original market. Today Eaton has an international presence in Canada, South America, Asia and in particular Europe, where its family of six and nine speed synchromesh transmissions have been readily received. The marketing strategy has aimed at providing interaction and dialogue with all aspects of the marketplace, including OEMs, dealers, fleets and leasing companies. One aspect of this of course is sales. The other benefit of being close to your market that is often overlooked is the informed decision making that can result from accurate market intelligence. Despite its global reach, Eaton prides itself on the close contact it maintains with OEMs and local market requirements.

Downward price pressure is a fact of life throughout the industry, particularly in the segments that Eaton serves. As a consequence, the manufacturing strategy is in part geared towards expanding the company’s presence in low cost base economies. Thus Poland is an important manufacturing centre for the company’s European manufacturing operations. It also has manufacturing plants in France, Germany, Italy, Monaco and the Netherlands.

It is anticipated that Europe will become an ever more important market as the company continues to distinguish itself through a combination of innovation and competitive pricing. Research and development (R&D) are ongoing with new refinements constantly being evaluated. The truck industry is eagerly awaiting the next revelation of a technical breakthrough that, with Eaton’s tack record, is sure to be forthcoming.