Driving Force
DAF Trucks is ensuring the waste transport industry is keeping pace with latest technology and is taking Australian manufacturing along for the ride.
After 50 years of applying its local engineering capability to the Kenworth model range, PACCAR Australia have now for the first time applied that same resource to the DAF Euro 6 truck range to produce an optimised model variant, specifically for the waste industry.
After almost two years of planning and design work by the local engineering team, the all-new lightweight DAF CF 340 FAD, is entering service to demonstrate its attributes with some of Australia’s prominent waste companies.
“With a strong focus on producing a low tare-weight solution to optimise payloads, we’re confident we’ve got a fantastic transport solution for waste management,” says Felipe Rubio, DAF Trucks Australia General Manager.
The release of the Euro 6 model range in 2020 provided significant improvements in the areas of performance, fuel efficiency and driver safety over the Euro 5 model range, which had successfully seen the DAF CF75 FAD establish a strong presence in front loader and hook lift applications in the waste industry.
Building on these attributes, PACCAR Australia’s engineering department worked with DAF’s engineers in the Netherlands to produce a version of the DAF CF 8×4 cab chassis that was both lighter and more manoeuvrable specifically for the waste sector.
The primary focus for PACCAR Australia’s engineering department was the rear end. “Kenworth Airglide suspension and locally sourced Meritor tandem axles with disc brakes were fitted to the body builder-friendly chassis and provided significant weight saving for this excellent new product,” Felipe says.
Adaptation and validation of this hardware set, including software integration for DAF’s latest generation of safety systems, was completed with assistance from PACCAR Australia’s local supply chain network. All parties involved focused on producing a product to achieve industry-leading tare weight to maximise operator payload, a huge consideration for the waste transport industry.
“That’s what sets us apart, being able to use PACCAR Australia’s unique engineering and manufacturing capability to produce quality products specifically designed for the Australian market,” Felipe says.
“The result is exceptional, the team at PACCAR Australia have delivered a Euro 6 emissions compliant product with all the latest safety technology; offering exceptional performance and fuel efficiency, manoeuvrability, driveability and driver comfort with exceptional payload capability for the waste industry. This is something we are extremely proud of.”
DAF’s modern and powerful PACCAR MX-11 Euro 6 engine has been mated to an Allison 3200 Series 6-Speed automatic transmission to provide the best balance between performance, efficiency and durability.
Rated at 340 horsepower (251 kW) and providing a maximum torque of 1500 Nm, the engine and transmission combination provides maximum torque and driveability at low engine speeds with higher loads.
To help drivers and fleets maximise the fuel efficiency of this new engine, a driver rating system is another key feature. The truck evaluates the driver behaviours and provides live driver performance feedback, which can be used to significantly improve fuel efficiency and reduce vehicle maintenance costs.
Fleets can further reduce fuel and maintenance costs, as well as track vehicles and vehicle performance, with PACCAR Connect. Driver and fleet information is made available via live tracking on desktop computer or mobile devices through easy-to-read and fully customisable dashboards and detailed reports that provide convenient and timely insights. PACCAR Connect can also share vehicle data with third-party fleet management systems, seamlessly integrating PACCAR vehicles into businesses.
This truck will be the latest DAF product to be built at PACCAR’s Bayswater production plant alongside existing CF MX-11 and MX-13 powered prime mover models, and Kenworth’s entire Australian model range. This year PACCAR celebrates 50 years of manufacturing Kenworth trucks in Australia, at the same time producing the 70,000th truck at the Bayswater facility.
“It is both exciting and important that the new light tare-weight model be built in Australia, because if nothing else, the past 18 months of an economy dealing with COVID-19 has shown that Australian manufacturing is not only vibrant, but essential in creating jobs for Australian families,”Felipe says.
“We hope that Australian operators continue to buy local products and support local suppliers and workers.”
Like all DAF trucks, buyers of this new light tare-weight model can take confidence that it is fully supported by PACCAR Australia’s extensive sales, parts and service dealer network located throughout Australia.
The DAF CF 340 FAD is positioned to be well received by the waste transport industry, either in front loader, rear loader or hook lift applications, and is now on sale at DAF dealers.
Article reproduced courtesy of Waste Management Review magazine (October 2021).
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