Trucks for the Eighties
Page 5
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COMPUTER data banks are being used by the National Freight Corporation to find the ideal combination of parts which will extend vehicle life and cut down on maintenance costs for the 'trucks of •the 1980s.
The plan is to find the optimum combination of clutch, gearbox, hack axle and engine so that the NFC can specify types when buying trucks. They will also be looking at noise and fuel economy in the programme.
A recent study by the corporation revealed that major components are likely to fail in the order of clutch, gearbox, rear axle and engine. The clutch fails at around 160,000 miles while engine lasts for 320,000 miles.
The aim of the study is to provide matched parts that will extend engine life and transmission.
Major manufacturers including, Leyland, Mercedes, and Volvo are co-operating in the • study which will also be a design project. It will involve design of all major components including cab, brakes and suspension layout.
NFC are also using the Scicon computer based at Milton Keynes to find the best truck for the job in hand, taking into account fuel economy.