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Developmental researci and the Paccar Affaii

31st July 1982, Page 38
31st July 1982
Page 38
Page 39
Page 38, 31st July 1982 — Developmental researci and the Paccar Affaii
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

Paccar's design philosophy is to evaluate what is available in technology and connponentry and then use them in the most effective way. How Laurie Baker, chi, engineer at Sandbach, interprets this guiding principle she explains to Graham Montgomerie

"MARKETING input plays a great part in deciding where we are going. The other big influence is legislation."

This was how Mrs Laurie Baker, chief engineer at Sandbach Engineering Company, explained some of the overall philosophy concerning the future development of Foden chassis. Some of this work follows commonsense engineering logic while some is directly influenced by Paccar's worldwide strategy.

One part of the philosophy is that no chassis is built for stock. The only vehicles which could even remotely be considered "stock" are the ones built for development purposes. The design philosophy is to evaluate what is available in the fields of technology and cornponentry and to use them in the most effective way. As Laurie explained: "We don't consider that we are in the research business, but we do do a lot of development in conjunction with our suppliers."

At this point, it is worth explaining how the development system works within Paccar — or at least within the commercial vehicle divisions of Kenworth, Peterbilt and Fodens. The Paccar technical centre is situated at Renton, Washington, with a staff of 40, but later this month a move is scheduled to a new 240acre site to the north of the existing facility. The new centre will incorporate workshops and a test track with the number of staff being increased to 150.

Kenworth and Peterbilt use the existing technical centre, but, for most projects, work entirely independently with no exchange of information. The new tech. centre has even been built around this principle of operation to allow both to continue their individual development in secrecy.

Information initiated by Paccar on a corporate basis is available to both, but beyond this Kenworth and Peterbilt are in total competition with one another.

Laurie Baker explained: "I'm ex-Kenworth so I know a lot about what they are doing. Fodens I am in a unique posit as I can talk to both compar because we are not conside direct competition — but in States, it's different."

Paccar has access to the w tunnel at the University of Wa ington which is used on an it vidual basis by both Kenwc and Peterbilt.

This total division between two US-based companies perhaps not as strange as i first appears because some the testing, for example fo radiator installation, would h to be done independently a way.

During the last year Lai visited the USA about every weeks. Although the time ference between America Sandbach can be a problerr does have one advantage in 1 if a telex is sent for informal at the end of a working day it I be dealt with at Rent "overnight" with the answer ing on the telex machine Sandbach the next morning.

The subject of Type Apprc is currently causing a lot of a ravation among the UK-ba manufacturers and Fodens is

aeption. Laurie put it more ongly than that: "I find Type proval a pain in the neck. The ;tem is just not based on J nd logic and seems a complied way of achieving what the lustry is after."

t was suggested that Type Apoval is not causing the ropean manufacturers any )blems because they are it while at the same tir rig up a lot of Foden opment time and equipmert. present there are eight chessmgaged in what can be loosetermed "development" (inding Type Approval) and this mber will be augmented by a ther two chassis before the d of the year.

:oden uses its own test chassand also those of selected erators for new product delopment. This applies to a rnponent or a system rather in to a complete vehicle.

rhe service department sugsts which customers could be 3d to run a test vehicle, Jelly on the basis of the Dwn accuracy of their vehicle :ords. In contrast to most of ; competition Foden does not ve a set list of "test" operators t selects them for each indidual development proimme.

fVithin the group, much delopment is done in conjuncn with the suppliers. Carbon fibre is a good example of this, where development work has been carried out within the separate divisions with the design being done by the Paccar company and the supplier taking care of the manufacture. As a matter of interest, Laurie Baker predicts that the biggest potential application for carbon fibre is for springs.

The Sandbach engineer did admit that some suppliers have been less than perfect during development projects. "It has happened that the same supplier has told Kenworth, Peterbilt and Foden different things," said Laurie.

In the USA, Paccar fits engines from Cummins, Detroit Diesel and Caterpillar — in that order as far as numbers are concerned. Although Mrs Baker said that there are no plans to fit Detroit engines in the Foden chassis, she did suggest that Sandbach Engineering might offer a Caterpillar engine in the near future. The company has some customers who already operate Caterpillar-powered plant and so an evaluation chassis with a 300plus horsepower Cat engine is in the pipeline. "It won't make the UK (engine) manufacturers very happy, but we see it as an opportunity to sell more trucks."

Although it will be an evalua tion chassis in the early stages, it is expected that the Cat-powered machine will become a standard option eventually, although for reasons already mentioned, the words "standard" and "option" are difficult to apply to Paccar products!

One of the potential hazards of running a Paccar style of bespoke chassis is that it does suggest a vast increase in proving time as every single requested component is tested. Laurie Baker refutes this, however, as the parent company has usually tried most of the driveline options somewhere around the world anyway so the components are usually well known.

Mrs Baker asked: "Why should we go through a long test programme if the particular component is already proven in the field? Engine and gearbox manufacturers, for example, are usually pretty responsible people so we can rely on getting accurate information from them."

Mrs Baker was adamant over one aspect of Foden development and that was that Sandbach Engineering starts from a Foden base to evaluate future progression. There is no question of trying to bring a US style of vehicle into the UK as Laurie does not accept that what is popular on the other side of the pond will automatically find acceptance here. "But I still question when I am told 'it won't work here' without thinking about it."

A lot has happened at Sandbach since the Paccar purchase become news at the last NEC Motor Show. The next two years should be just as interesting.

Tags

Organisations: University of Wa
Locations: Renton, Detroit

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