As heavy-duty truck manufacturers and engine makers have worked to comply with tougher federal guidelines for emissions controls, they have faced rising temperatures under the hood.
"Under-hood temperatures have risen significantly in recent years and will continue to increase as we move toward 2010," said John Adami, VP of North American sales for Global Vehicle Technologies. "The reliability of under-hood components, including valves, is being tested, and will play a crucial role in keeping vehicles running."
To meet rising temperatures and harsher conditions on and around the engine, GVT has introduced a next generation of solenoid valves. "GVT's new solenoid valves are designed for severe-duty applications where temperatures exceed 250 degrees Fahrenheit for sustained periods of time," Adami said
The Seattle-based manufacturer of custom-engineered products developed the Next Generation Solenoid Valves (NGSV) to stand up to hotter engine compartment conditions, more aggressive road salts and increasing environmental compliance requirements.
"These valves aren't usually noticed by truck operators but they are critical to the safe and efficient operation of trucks, both line haul and off-road."
The initial target for the NGSV is the fan clutch. Several North American truck manufacturers have specified the NGSV for fan clutch applications, which require the valve to operate continuously, often in the high-temperature environment on the engine. In time GVT's NGSV might also be used for applications such as differential locks, exhaust brake control, power takeoff control, pilot signals for suspension dump, lift axles, 5th wheel slide and other air-powered accessories.
"While cooling systems have been redesigned to dissipate as much of this heat as possible, GVT saw the need for sturdier component parts on and around the engine," Adami said. "The valve's thermoplastic construction is also more corrosion resistant and rugged than past valves."
Global Vehicle Technologies is an engineering-driven manufacturer of fluid and motion controls for original equipment commercial vehicle manufacturers and Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers worldwide. Supported by an engineering staff with extensive expertise in multiple competencies, GVT designs and manufactures on-board components for a wide variety of chassis, cab and powertrain applications. GVT, a business unit of Norgren Inc., was formed in 2006 through the integration of GT Development and Norgren's Global Truck Group. For more information contact [email protected] or visit the GVT website at www.gvt-norgren.com.
