Dana unveils upgrade to military-grade tire inflation system

Dana Holding Corp. recently rolled out a new mechatronic control unit (MCU) option for its Spicer central tire inflation system (CTIS) applications for smaller military and government-grade vocational vehicles to enable individual wheel control for tire inflation issues.

Dana said its new MCU is an integrated unit that includes electronic, computer, and mechanical engineering for delivering improved reliability, a smaller footprint, reduced weight, and less wiring complexity.

The company added that it’s been specifically engineered for ground mobility vehicles (GMV), internally transportable-light strike vehicles (ITV-LSV), and high mobility multipurpose wheeled vehicles (HMMWV or “Humvee”).

Dan’s new MCU is also installed on the three vehicle designs that have entered the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase for the Army and Marine Corps Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program, noted Pat D'Eramo, president of Dana’s commercial vehicle driveline technologies division.

“Spicer CTIS technology maximizes vehicle mobility by allowing operators, from inside the cab, to adjust tire pressure to the optimum footprint on any terrain,” he explained. “It also allows vehicles to effectively operate with extremely low tire pressures and makes it possible to free a stuck vehicle or take on grades and other extreme conditions, transporting soldiers to safety in the most strenuous environments.” 

D’Eramo pointed out that the Spicer CTIS is currently available on the Oshkosh family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV), the Textron M1117 Armored Security Vehicle, and the International MaxxPro mine-resistant ambush protected (MRAP) vehicle.