Navistar recently announced that it will be first-to-market with the Eaton Procision line of dual-clutch transmissions for its International DuraStar medium-duty trucks and IC Bus CE series school buses, available in late 2015.Based on Eaton's testing, the new seven-speed transmissions deliver a fuel economy advantage compared to a similarly equipped vehicle with a torque converter automatic transmission, the company said. "Through our partnership with Eaton, we're offering our customers advanced technologies that provide safe and easy operation for any driver," said Jeff Sass, Navistar senior vice president, North America Truck Sales and Marketing. "Coupled with the reliability of our medium-duty platform, the Eaton Procision transmission delivers the uptime and efficiency our customers require in many driving environments." The Eaton Procision dual-clutch technology allows for more efficient acceleration from a stopped position and optimizes shift points that will efficiently get to the highest gear, according to the company. Gear changes are made by swapping the engine torque between clutches with the next gear preselected. The dual-clutch module is fully contained within the transmission, hydraulically controlled and oil cooled for extended life. The Eaton Procision includes features such as Eaton Dynamic Shifting, which allows the transmission to automatically switch between economy and performance shift schedules based on mass, grade and driver demand. Available torque, engine acceleration and grade drive dynamically modified base shift results. Economy and performance shift tables can be adjusted to tune an overall calibration.Eaton Procision transmissions utilize a new synthetic transmission fluid that provides component protection while reducing maintenance costs, as part of 150,000 mile or four-year lube and filter change intervals. The internal sump filter and electrical system do not require maintenance. "Customers told us that they wanted features that made their trucks easier to drive," said Jeff Carpenter, Eaton Medium-Duty Procision engineering manager. "So, we engineered a host of features that instill confidence and maximize efficiency for operators with routes on hilly, difficult terrain, or those who navigate tight turns and traffic as part of an urban route."
