Starting from standstill while hauling a massive 325 tonnes? It’s been made possible with Volvo Trucks’ unique I–Shift with crawler gear technology.
The I–Shift with crawler gears is a gearbox designed to provide power and extreme stability, which are crucial to heavy-duty assignments. The gear is so powerful that the truck can start from standstill on a level road with loads of up to 325 tonnes. The gear ratio helps truck operators to drive at speeds as low as 0.5 km an hour – allowing the truck to really move at a crawl. This is a huge help when performing precision manoeuvres, especially if reversing.
To find out more about Volvo Trucks' advanced I-Shift with crawler gears, check out this demonstration video.
Volvo I-Shift with crawler gears is perfect for a variety of precision jobs, including construction and maintenance work, because it makes it possible to drive exceptionally slowler with heavy loads.
The heavier the load and the worse the road or terrain, the more the driver gains from driving a truck equipped with Volvo I-Shift with crawler gears. The driver is able to take a heavy load without having to worry about getting into situations that, in a worst case scenario, can lead to costly standstills.
The large gear ratio in the I-Shift with crawler gears is made possible by a new gear reduction set that has been added to a standard I-Shift. The extra gear reduction set is located directly behind the gearbox clutch housing and consists of two extra gearwheels – one on the input shaft and one on the counter shaft. The extra gear reduction set enables the gearbox to provide a ratio that is almost twice as large as a standard I-Shift.
Gear ratio
Gear ratio is the difference in speed between the input and output shafts in a gearbox. With the highest gear engaged, the gear ratio is 1:1 on a direct drive gearbox, which means that the shafts spin at the same speed. At the lowest gear in the I-Shift with crawler gears, the output shaft spins 32 times more slowly than the engine speed – at a gear ratio of 32:1.
Enhanced gearbox
To make room for the extra gear reduction set, the gearbox has been made 12cm longer than a standard I-Shift. Many of the new components, such as gearwheels, engaging sleeves and split synchronisers, are made of high-strength materials.
The I-Shift with low crawler gears is available in direct-drive and overdrive models for Volvo Trucks’ 13 and 16 litre engines across Volvo's FM, FMX, FH and FH16 models. This means the transmission can be used for many different types of transport segments.
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