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CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS
OCTOBER 2016
29
EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT
B60E. Initially introduced as a prototype at
the maiden Bauma Africa in 2013, the B60E
boasts a massive 55 t rated payload and is
the biggest truck of its nature in the world .
More engine power
As part of the radical upgrade of the Bell
E-Series Large Truck range, it is now
powered by the new Mercedes Benz HDEP
engine platform optimised for off-highway
applications by MTU. “While new for us, the
HDEP engine platform has been in production
with Mercedes Benz for seven years. We
are very confident that our customers will
appreciate an array of advances in terms of
fuel economy and power density over our
D-Series machines,” says Du Pisanie.
The new engine comes with a common rail
injection system, which makes it quieter than
the predecessor. Thanks to the higher com-
bustion and injection pressures, the power
density (number of kW obtained from a litre
of engine capacity) is also greater than the
previous engine. As a result, fuel consump-
tion is lower when compared with the outgo-
ing engine range.
Meanwhile, engine braking, which Du
Pisanie says plays a crucial role in an ADT,
is now a Jacobs brake, said to give more
engine braking power than the older engine
which had a simpler engine valve and ex-
Model
Previous payload
New payload
B35
32,5 t
33,5 t
B40
37 t
39 t
B45
41 t
41 t
B50
45,4 t
45,4 t
B60
55 t
55 t
Model
Old Engine
New Engine
Capacity
B35
Mercedes Benz OM501LA Mercedes Benz OM470LA/MTU 6R 1100 10,7
ℓ
B40
Mercedes Benz OM501LA Mercedes Benz OM471LA/MTU 6R 1300 12,8
ℓ
B45
Mercedes Benz OM502LA Mercedes Benz OM471LA/MTU 6R 1300 12,8
ℓ
B50
Mercedes Benz OM502LA Mercedes Benz OM473LA/MTU 6R 1500 15,6
ℓ
B60
Mercedes Benz OM502LA Mercedes Benz OM473LA/MTU 6R 1500 15,6
ℓ
haust brake. “In addition, the Jacobs brake
is variable, so we have the capability to mod-
ulate the engine braking depending on the
conditions,” he says.
The Jacobs engine brake, activated by an
additional lobe on the camshaft, automati-
cally engages when the operator’s foot is off
the accelerator. “The retardation power of
the Jacobs engine brake is higher than the
engine braking produced by the outgoing V6
and V8 engines on the D-Series trucks. The
benefit is that a lot less retardation outside
of the engine is required.”
New features abound
Following the increase in power with the new
engine platform, all models in the E-Series
Large Truck range move from the Allison
six-speed transmission to the Allison 4700
transmission offering better performance
with its seven-gear ratios. It also provides
better gradeability with reduced fuel
consumption.
“The move to a seven-speed Allison trans-
mission across the range, with the exception
of the B35E, effectively delivers better per-
formance due to the smaller steps between
The E-Series
Large Truck range
moves from the Allison
six-speed transmission
to the larger Allison
4700 transmission
offering
better performance
with its seven-
gear ratios.
B40E delivers 7% or more
lower cost per tonne than
the B40D
E-Series models now
powered by the new
Mercedes Benz HDEP
engine
Range moves from Allison
six-speed transmission
to the Allison 4700
transmission
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