Seven-year test shows fully-synthetic transmission
fluids in Allison Automatics deliver extended maintenance intervals
and reduced wear and tear.
FRANKFURT, Germany - Allison along with German refuse service
company Frankfurter Entsorgungs-und Service GmbH (FES) has
subjected its fully automatic transmissions to a rigorous seven
year test to prove their longevity and reliability using a fully
synthetic TES-295 fully synthetic transmission fluid (in this case,
Castrol TranSyndTM) demonstrating the extended service intervals
and positive the effect on vehicle uptime, maintenance and
operating cost.
After approximately seven years and more than 14,000 hours of
operation per truck, FES reported that the Allison fully automatic
transmissions ran virtually free of wear and tear and without
needing a single oil change.
The FES fleet comprises about 100 vehicles fitted with Allison
transmissions driven with TES-295 fluid.
For the seven-year test, eight Mercedes-Benz Econic rear loaders
equipped with OM 926 LA engines and Allison 3000 Series
transmissions were strictly monitored.
When put into service, each was filled with 32 litres of TranSynd
fluid and then used in normal operation, collecting mainly residual
waste, astepaper and packaging, five days a week on average nine
for hours a day.
Every six months each vehicle underwent a thorough inspection:
checking the transmission and drivetrain for defects, measuring the
oil level and taking oil samples.
Analyzing oil test samples was critical to determining how long the
TES-295 transmission fluid could be used in severe-duty
applications such as refuse collection.
Based on Allison's recommended service intervals, oil filters were
replaced after 3,000 hours of operation with samples showing that
oil viscosity and composition remained constant during the
seven-year test phase.
No oil changes were needed and only six litres of fresh TES-295
fluid were required to compensate for oil loss during filter
changes. In total, each vehicle needed only four filter changes and
24 additional litres of TES-295 transmission fluid during the
test.
Once the endurance test was complete, two transmissions were
completely disassembled and thoroughly examined to comprehensively
check transmission health. One was removed from a vehicle in
operation for 14,219 hours and 162,609 kilometres; the other for
13,344 hours and 168,141 kilometres.
Upon examination transmission parts were still in excellent
condition. The torque converter lock-up clutch showed only minimal
wear, typical in the stop and go duty-cycle of refuse collection
applications and it was the only component replaced during the
re-assembly process.
This extreme use of the TES-295 transmission fluid was only
possible because all vehicles were subject to regular, extensive
controls during the endurance test. Close monitoring was crucial to
ensuring transmission health, as deteriorated fluid can result in
insufficient protection from corrosion or reduced shifting
quality.
Despite the excellent test results, Allison Transmission recommends
waste management fleets change TES-295 fluids such as TranSynd
after 240,000 kilometers, 6,000 hours or 48 months - whichever
occurs first. Compared to conventional mineral-oil based
transmission fluids, recommended service intervals for TES-295
fluids are up to 12 times longer.
While no oil changes were necessary during the FES endurance test,
a comparable vehicle with 13,300 hours of operation would have
required 26 recommended mineral-oil changes versus only two
recommended oil changes using TranSynd.
"We are happy we took part in this test because it has demonstrated
that our fleet can rely on Allison transmissions in combination
with TranSynd," said Uwe Klein, workshop manager at FES.
"Besides, we benefit from the extended service intervals - vehicles
spend less time in the workshop, and we save costs while protecting
the environment," he said.
"As a result of the test, we have consciously decided to choose
vehicles with Allison transmissions in the future."
Since 2012, FES has purchased seven new Econic vehicles; all
equipped with Allison 3000 Series transmissions and using TES-295
fluid.
"The test in Frankfurt went great. We gathered comprehensive data
and gained experience while delivering benefits from the extended
service intervals to the customer," said Steve Graddy, service
engineer at Allison Transmission, who oversaw the test across the
entire period.
"It has been demonstrated that further reductions in life cycle
costs can be achieved with the combination of Allison fully
automatic transmissions and fully-synthetic TES-295 transmission
fluids such as TranSynd," Steve Graddy added.
About Allison Transmission
Allison Transmission (NYSE: ALSN) is the world's largest
manufacturer of fully automatic transmissions for medium- and
heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and is a leader in
hybrid-propulsion systems for city buses. Allison transmissions are
used in a variety of applications including refuse, construction,
fire, distribution, bus, motorhomes, defense and energy. Founded in
1915, the company is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
and employs approximately 2,700 people worldwide. With a market
presence in more than 80 countries, Allison has regional
headquarters in the Netherlands, China and Brazil with
manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Hungary and India. Allison
also has approximately 1,400 independent distributor and dealer
locations worldwide. For more information, visit allisontransmission.com.
About Frankfurter Entsorgungs- und Service GmbH
(FES)
FES is the largest refuse collection company in the German
Rhine/Main area. Together with its subsidiaries FES has 1,700
employees and offers complete refuse and cleaning services covering
in Frankfurt am Main and surroundings. In 2013 the FES group
collected about 156,000 tons of residual waste, 42,000 tons of
wastepaper and 12,000 tons of lightweight packaging.
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