Dana to showcase electrification, safety capabilities for aerial work platforms at Intermat 2018

By MEq February 13, 2018 12:53

Dana Incorporated has announced that the company will present its Spicer drive systems and Brevini motion systems for aerial work platforms (AWPs) at the upcoming Intermat 2018 construction show. These offerings include products that support the increased demand for electrified drive systems, as well as those that enhance safety by leveraging advanced data collection and on-board analytical capabilities.

Dana designs and manufactures fully integrated drive and motion products for the vast majority of AWPs, including scissor lifts, vertical mast lifts, articulating and telescopic boom lifts, crawler lifts, and truck-mounted lifts.
“The AWP market is transforming rapidly as equipment makers respond to more stringent emissions regulations and equipment buyers move to reduce noise levels and improve safety,” said Aziz Aghili, president of Dana Off-Highway Drive and Motion Technologies. “Dana has a complete range of advanced drive and motion products for AWPs that addresses these trends while boosting productivity.”

Portfolio supports electrification of AWPs
Through the acquisition of the power-transmission and fluid power businesses of the former Brevini Group, S.p.A. in February 2017, Dana now has a full array of advanced technologies to support the electrification efforts of AWP original-equipment manufacturers. Dana currently offers a wheel drive paired with a motor for electric-driven AWPs ranging from 3 to 7 tonnes, and engineers are adapting Dana technologies to deliver additional wheel-drive and axle-based solutions for AWP applications up to 24 tonnes.

Additionally, Dana is developing drive systems that integrate advanced electric motor and wheel-drive technologies in a single, compact package to optimize the performance of electric-powered AWPs with overall weights of 8 to 12 tonnes. These drive systems will be available for pre-production testing by OEMs starting in the second quarter of this year. This development effort illustrates how Dana supports hybridization and electrification as a key element in the company’s enterprise strategy, “Shifting into Overdrive.”

Dana helps to enhance AWP safety
Safety regulations for mobile elevating platforms in North America are evolving quickly to align with those already in effect in Europe, essentially creating global standards for platform design, load sensing, dynamic terrain sensing, and training requirements. To help OEMs comply with these standards, Dana leverages 20 years of experience to design and manufacture a broad range of Brevini motion products, including electronic controls, sensors, controllers, and associated software. For example, Dana now offers a 32-bit Brevini electronic board that enables smooth and accurate performance for joysticks through numerous adjustable parameters, including non-linear behavior.

Furthermore, Dana is adapting the Spicer Smart Suite Intelligent Load Monitoring System (ILMS) for use on AWPs. Now available for pre-production testing by vehicle manufacturers, this system uses patented and proprietary data-collecting technologies across the vehicle to prevent tip-over incidents, estimate static loads, and supply intelligent calibration management. Spicer Smart Suite ILMS is designed to alert the operator of potential tipping situations, reduce the risk of vehicle breakdowns, improve productivity and precision, and enhance the long-term durability of drive systems. Production of the Spicer Smart Suite ILMS is anticipated to begin this year.