Seddon Atkinson reaps a rich harvest
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With International Harvester's Stateside expertise and financial backing to draw on, the Oldham company's in a really strong position as far as research and development goes, as Graham Montgomerie explains
'WE HAVE the normal UK faciliies plus the back-up of Interneional Harvester in the USA." fhat was how Roy Wild, man3ger — engineering of Seddon Ntkinson, summed up the re;earch and development potenial of his company.
For as well as having the corn)ined engineering expertise of \tkinson and Seddon (in alpha)etical order), the Oldharnbased :ompany can also call on the )xperience and financial resources of one of the biggest nanufacturing companies in the vorld.
Takeovers, particularly by ion-UK based companies, often nean a total loss of identity for he original company. This has 3ot happened to Seddon Atkin;on, which has been allowed to :arry on "with the mixture as ■ efore", but with the bonus of ■ ack-up expertise — and, of :ourse, the money.
This means that Seddon Atkinon has been able to draw on is know-how which has inluded putting the UK road ystem on computer.
aateside technology
IH investigated the road ystems in the UK and fed the Iformation into a computer. his produced statistics — inluding road-damage factors — 31. all types of motorway, A3ad and urban conditions. This /as done for a variety of vehicle fees, ranging from tippers and rban distribution rig ids to longaul tractive units.
Having all this information on mds throughout the world has nabled IH to work out an equialence factor between US and
K operation. This takes a lot of me and money, admittedly, but i has the volume throughput ,orldwide to be able to justify le expense. The advantage to le UK, of course, is that Seddon
tkinson has access to all the IH 'formation.
This co-operation between ldham and the parent cornany plays a large part in the eddon Atkinson research and avelopment programme.
114 is unusual in that it has a prnMercial vehicle research Intre as Well as a centre for pure research. The Truck Division Engineering centre is based at Fort Wayne, Indiana, and is claimed to be the world's largest facility devoted entirely to the design and development of lorries.
The total area is over 250 acres with nearly 4 5,0 0 Osqm (479,000sqft) under roof.
Fort Wayne boasts a completely automated and computer-controlled chassis dynamometer, two transmission dynamometers and a heavyduty axle dynamometer with an input capacity of over 260kW (350bhp).
The 400-Series Seddon Atkinson was tested at Fort Wayne with electrohydraulic actuators under each set of wheels to simulate road vibrations.
Also, three computerised electrohydraulic shakers allow the simultaneous testing of three cabs and related components under controlled conditions which, IH claims, can produce the equivalent of one million miles of typical highway or offroad conditions in about six weeks.
In theory it allows total testing to the life of the vehicle as opposed to previous techniques which provided only about 100,000 miles of road testing in one year.
To sort out potential problems due to temperature variation, the Fort Wayne research centre is equipped with both cold and hot test chambers. The refrigerated room, which has a chassis dynamometer installed, has a temperature capability down to —50°C (-60°F) to facilitate investigation of cold start performance and the functioning of the various operating controls.
At the other end of the temperature scale, the hot chamber (again with a chassis dynamometer) is capable of handling the largest chassis produced by the IH group. It can operate at up to 48°C (120°F).
By adding water into the airstream the humidity can be varied up to the maximum of 90 per cent.
Noise legislation plays an important part in any future vehicle design exercise so, not surprisingly. IH has spent a lot of money in this direction. Noise readings are fed by underground cables to the Vehicle Sound Laboratory where they are analysed by computer. As well as this mobile test, there is also a "stationary noise analysis
Dad" where the prototype vehicle is placed between two -nicrophones mounted on tracks Nhich move past the vehicle rather than the other way round.
IH claims that this particular piece of equipment is unique to :he heavy vehicle industry, with -apid changes to the prototype peing possible without moving t.
Work has already begun on a iew technical centre at Burr Ridge, Illinois, which, IH claims, Nill be one of the world's largest :3entres for science and engineering. It will have no less than 21 laboratories for the development of new products and processes for the commercial vehicle market worldwide.
The main aims will be improved "energy effectiveness" in both the design of the vehicle and the way in which it is produced, improved reliability, weight reduction, and improved vehicle safety. Apart from looking into the mechanical side of things, there will also be a new chemical laboratory investigating lubricants with a view to improving oil life and increasing the time between oil changes.
This business of economy of scale can also apply to the inhouse components. If Seddon Atkinson can make use of such parts — for example, the crossmember of a 401 — then this is more cost-effective on volume.
Over the years the American company has compiled a series of materials standards manuals the result of a great deal of material and component testing.
So, if Seddon Atkinson is looking for an alternative material for a particular function, then it is a simple matter to check through the IH files.
As Roy Wild explained "if someone comes to us with a wonder material, the chances are that IH has already met it".
The biggest potential weight reduction lies in the use of high tensile sheets, aluminium and plastics. In common with most American companies, IH is well
versed in the use of aluminium, but Roy emphasised that this did not mean a full-scale swing towards this material for UK chassis. "Aluminium is cheap in the USA and Sweden when compared with the UK'„ he explains. "The cost depends on where it is sourced."
Materials research will be one of the main functions of Burr Ridge where a composite materials laboratory is being set up to investigate their potential for weight reduction and noise control.
Composite materials (with carbon fibre being probably the best known) can also be used in vehicle suspensions while IH is also investigating their use in both clutch and braking systems with a view to prolonging working life.
Seddon Atkinson does nc specific research work on thE proprietary engines fittec though the complete installatior has to be approved by Rolls. Royce, Cummins and Gardner.
The basic engines do not vat-) from ERF to Seddon Atkinson tc Fodens but the individual instal lation is often very different witlvariations in turbocharge mounting, fan size and positior and so on.
The most cost effective corn ponent is that which can be pro duced in the most volume to ge the benefits of economy of scale Thus Roy Wild would rather alte a particular vehicle design ir preference to having the engin' manufacturer produce a uniqui build of engine.
The installation is signed ol by the engine manufacturer who give Seddon Atkinson ap proval for use in the UK o worldwide or whatever.
In common with most UK based factories, the Seddon Ai kinson development tear spends quite a bit of time at th MIRA proving ground on acce erated vehicle testing, in partici. lar on the pave section.
Because the company i spending more and more time MIRA, a vehicle workshop ha been built based on a 300-Serie six-wheeler chassis. This part cular vehicle was in fact one c the early development prou types for the range, and it is no, fitted with a second-hand boc originally used by Ripponde and District Transport for pare' delivery work.
The front of the body acts as store for the tools and te equipment while the rear sectic is fitted out as a workshop.
The unit is self-contained evE to the extent of having extra tanks so that impact wrench( can be used.