Eaton, Cummins look to build on powertrain collaboration

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — For the third consecutive year, Cummins and Eaton shared a stage at the Technology & Maintenance Council annual meetings, to update industry journalists on their collaborative efforts.

This year, the message was that the two companies are broadening their collective approach to powertrain integration and will be looking to enter new segments.

Ryan Trzybinski, product planning manager for Eaton, indicated the company’s Procision dual clutch transmission will be offered in July with the Cummins ISB 6.7-litre engine. The companies would not yet disclose which vehicle OEM will be the first to offer the combination.

Testing has shown this pairing can improve fuel economy by 8-10% compared to a torque converter-style automatic transmission, Trzybinski said. The Procision is the first dual clutch transmission in the North American Classes 6/7 market. It provides smooth powershifting with no torque interruption.

But perhaps the greatest example of the closer collaboration between Cummins and Eaton is the SmartAdvantage powertrain, which continues to gain market acceptance. Trzybinski noted there are now nearly 200 fleets in the US and Canada using the SmartAdvantage, which features a Cummins ISX engine and the Eaton Fuller Advantage Series automated manual transmission.

“Sales have exceeded our expectations,” Trzybinski said. “These 200 fleets represent some of the biggest fleets out there.”

The package is now offered by International, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Volvo and Freightliner. The SmartAdvantage powertrain with ISX12 engine is now available for order, which delivers 2-4% better fuel economy, said Mike Taylor, global powertrain director, Cummins. It is aimed at regional haul applications and can produce 425 hp and 1,350/1,650 lb.-ft. of torque.

Also new is availability of the ISX12 G natural gas engine with the Fuller Advantage Series automated manual transmission. Previously, only the previous generation UltraShift Plus was available with the nat-gas engine, which was the first time natural gas power could be spec’d with an AMT.

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James Menzies is editorial director of Today's Trucking and TruckNews.com. He has been covering the Canadian trucking industry for more than 24 years and holds a CDL. Reach him at james@newcom.ca or follow him on Twitter at @JamesMenzies.


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  • What does the new ISX 15 weigh? I need to compare weight to another engine for a new tru k before I order it. Thank you.