Daimler

Daimler “prints” first metal truck part

STUTTGART, GERMANY - Engineers working for Daimler's European truck brand, Mercedes-Benz Trucks, have successfully used a 3D printer to create a metal thermostat cover - proving a process that could reshape the way spare metal parts are produced and distributed. With the potential of decentralizing production, 3D printing could improve parts availability, shorten delivery times, and reduce warehousing and distribution costs, the company notes. Daimler's brands in North America include Freightliner and Western Star. "With the introduction of 3D metal printing technology, Mercedes-Benz Trucks is reasserting its pioneering role among global commercial vehicle manufacturers," said Andreas Deuschle, head of marketing and operations - customer services and parts with Mercedes-Benz Trucks. "We ensure the same functionality, reliability, durability and cost-effectiveness with 3D metal parts as we do with conventionally produced parts."

The possibility — and limits — of remote diagnostics

MONTREAL, QC - Manufacturers are more closely connected to individual engines than ever before. Telematics make it possible to monitor fault codes in real time, inform vehicle owners of the problems, and even identify service locations that stock the required parts. Stephane Godbout, the president of SG Consulting, just wants more. He understands the value of data, having worked for a fleet that adopted Detroit Technician in more than 500 trucks as early as 2012. "It was a lot of data to start out with," Godbout recalled during the SCEF maintenance summit in Montreal. "We had to scale back because our people were swamped with data. They didn't know what to do with it."

Daimler Trucks’ Inspiration

LAS VEGAS -- What happens in Las Vegas is supposed to stay in Las Vegas, but that certainly not the case with Daimler Trucks' recently introduced Inspiration Truck. It's the autonomous commercial vehicle that has taken the world by storm. Literally. Daimler Trucks invited more than 200 journalists from four continents to cover the event, and stories have appeared in over 500 newspapers and on TV news shows all over the globe. Today's Trucking was there too, of course. And we had our chance to ride in the truck. We were not allowed to drive it at this event because it requires some driver certification, which there wasn't time to procure. We did come back from the launch event with this video of our test drive, with Equipment Editor Jim Park in the right-hand seat.