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LuK OE on Merdeces-Benz Antos

Schaeffler has announced a major new OE-contract for its LuK clutch brand.

It has been selected as development partner and production supplier for the new Mercedes-Benz Antos truck.

With the LuK Travel Adjusted Clutch (TAC), the six-cylinder engines of the OM 936 model range comes with a heavy-duty commercial vehicle clutch that’s travel-adjusted and designed for long life.

Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK) Ltd Technical Services Manager Malcolm Short said: “This is a significant new contract for our LUK clutch range and demonstrates our growing relationship with the major truck manufacturers.”

Jürgen Freitag, Director Clutch Product Line, LuK GmbH & Co. KG, Bühl, said: “As development partner and production supplier we stand for strictly monitored quality standards for value-added products for our customers and for future-oriented assembly technologies. In short, for innovative power and the highest levels of assembly competence.”

The new Antos is a milestone and benchmark for the future. Specially developed as a heavy-duty hauler, its power is transferred to the road using a fully automatic, fast-shifting Mercedes PowerShift3 transmission. Its specialty is the range of combinations of compact engines with a newly-developed eight gear PowerShift transmission. The TAC from LuK ensures optimal power transmission.

The LuK TAC 395 mm (push-type) clutch installed in the Antos is designed to handle up to 1400Nm of torque. As insulation against vibration, LuK also delivers a newly-developed clutch disc with a torsion damper tuned especially for this vehicle. In addition, the TAC has a long-life friction lining and is characterised by its extremely precise clutch adjustment mechanism.

The adjustment process is initiated by a measuring process that takes place during clutch engagement and disengagement. If the distance between the pressure plate and flywheel changes, the axial amount of change is translated to the adjusting ring by a spindle with a directly-coupled pinion gear.

Compensation follows with constant finger height between the pressure plate and the diaphragm spring. Because the entire adjustment mechanism is within the pressure plate, distortional forces have no influence on the quality of adjustment. This benefits the LuK TAC giving a minimum wear-reserve of 6mm, which nearly doubles the wear-reserve of conventional truck clutch systems.

The TAC is assembled at LuK Truckparts in Kaltennordheim, Germany whose assembly line is designed for small to mid-sized production runs with short set-up times – a reflection of LuK’s assembly know-how for commercial vehicle applications – it guarantees the highest quality and the reliability of its products. From manual fitting, to riveting and balancing; from functional testing to laser printing and packaging – the assembly process is automated and monitored by cameras.

Schaeffler Automotive Aftermarket (UK)’s LuK clutch, INA tensioner and FAG wheel bearing brands are supported by technical support and repair installation tips through the RepXpert website (www. RepXpert.com) and a technical hotline: UK Tel: 08457 001100, Ireland Tel: +44 (0)1432 264264.