Mechanical Technology may 2015

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40 Mechanical Technology — May 2015
⎪ Nota bene ⎪
Index to advertisers
Afrox........................OFC, OBC, 32
Atlas Copco.............................. 26
Becker Mining SA...................... 19
BMG........................................ 20
Bonfiglioli................................ IFC
Clyde Bergemann Africa............. 29
ContiTech Conveyor Belts........... 22
Crown Publications................... IBC
Hytec Fluid Technology.............. 35
M&J Engineering....................... 17
Martec..................................... 13
Metso Minerals. ........................ 14
Powermite Engineering Solutions. 21
ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions. 2
Verder Pumps SA....................... 15
Industry diary
May 2015
MEIndaba 2015
28-29 May
Emperors Palace, Ekurhuleni, Gauteng
June 2015
Rapid.tech
10-11 June
Exhibition Centre Erfurt, Germany
Organizer: Messe Erfurt GmbH
Manufacturing Indaba
29-30 June
Emperors Place, Kempton Park,
Gauteng
Liz Hart
+27 11 463 9184
+27 83 227 5156
In July last year, Daimler Trucks dem-
onstrated an autonomous truck in ac-
tion when the Mercedes-Benz Future
Truck 2025 drove along a cordoned-off
section of the A14 autobahn near Mag-
deburg. But in May 2015, the American
State of Nevada granted Daimler’s
Freightliner’s Inspiration Truck with High-
way Pilot the world’s first autonomous
truck license for road use.
The development engineers of Daimler
Trucks transferred the system to the US
brand Freightliner and modified it for use
on American highways. The result: the
State of Nevada certified no less than two
Freightliner Inspiration Trucks for regular
operations on public roads.
Highway Pilot technology comprises
a front radar and a stereo camera plus
tried and tested assistance systems such
as adaptive cruise control, as seen in the
standard Freightliner Cascadia models
and the Mercedes-Benz Actros. For
licensing on public roads in Nevada, the
technology was further developed and
the interaction of components extensively
tested. As part of the truck’s marathon
run, the Freightliner Inspiration Truck
covered over 16 000 km on a test circuit
in Papenburg, Germany.
As soon as the truck is safely on the
highway, the driver can activate the
Highway Pilot system. The driver receives
a visual prompt in the instrument cluster
to activate the Highway Pilot. The ve-
hicle switches to autonomous mode and
adapts to the speed of traffic and then the
driver receives a confirmation message in
the instrument cluster.
The Highway Pilot system uses a
complex stereo camera and radar sys-
tems with lane-keeping and collision-
prevention functions. It regulates the
speed, applies the brakes and steers. This
combination of systems
creates an autonomous
vehicle that can oper-
ate safely under a wide
range of driving condi-
tions – the truck auto-
matically complies with
posted speed limits,
regulates the distance
from the vehicle ahead
or uses the stop-and-go
function during rush
hour.
The Highway Pilot
system does not initiate
autonomous passing
manoeuvres, as these
have to be executed by
the driver. The same
applies for leaving the
highway and changing
lanes. Via the user in-
Manufacturing Indaba: June 29-30, 2015 at Emperors Palace
With South Africa’s economy under pres-
sure and business confidence in decline,
the manufacturing industry continues to
face tremendous challenges. A shrinking
manufacturing base, supply chain chal-
lenges, human capital challenges, the threat
of other emerging economies and cheap
labour continue to threaten the growth and
prosperity of the sector.
The aim of the Manufacturing Indaba is
to bring together business owners, industry
leaders, government officials, capital pro-
viders and professional experts to discuss
these challenges and to brainstorm solu-
tions. “The success of our nation depends
on a strong and innovative manufacturing
base. We must continue to work together to
promote prosperity through manufacturing,
science and innovation,” says Liz Hart, MD
of Manufacturing Indaba.
The 2 nd annual Manufacturing Indaba
will be held from 29 to 30 June 2015 at
Emperors Place, Kempton Park.
As soon as the truck is safely on the highway, the driver can activate the
Highway Pilot system, which uses a complex stereo camera and radar
systems with lane-keeping and collision-prevention functions to regulate the
speed, apply the brakes and to steer the truck.
US licenses first autonomous truck terface the Highway Pilot keeps the driver
visually informed about its current status
and accepts instructions. The driver can
deactivate the Highway Pilot manually
and is able to override the system at
any time. If the vehicle is no longer able
to process crucial aspects of its environ-
ment, e.g. due to road construction or
bad weather, the driver is prompted to
retake control. In addition to a visual
prompt in the instrument cluster there
is also a subsequent audible notification.
The Inspiration Truck represents yet
another demonstration of the consistent
way in which Freightliner Trucks technol-
ogy strategy has developed in the USA.
As a global commercial vehicle manu-
facturer, Daimler is demonstrating how
intelligent technologies can be rolled out
across brands in the group within short
time frames. q