Allison 8610 is the Choice of North Hauler’s Autonomous Rigid Dump Truck

Equipped with an Allison 8610 Off Road Series™(ORS) fully automatic transmission, the recent delivery of autonomous drive rigid dump truck model NTR100A to Conch Cement by Inner Mongolia North Hauler Joint Stock Co. Ltd (NHL) has accelerated the pace of driverless rigid dump truck development in China.

There is an increasing demand for driverless off-road trucks in China due to poor road conditions and tough working environments. Being a pioneer in the development and production of self-driving mining trucks in China, NHL has reached achieved a major milestone in autonomous mining with the release of the NTR100A rigid dump model. This model features two control modes, driver mode and autonomous mode.

In autonomous or driverless mode, the truck allows the Central Body Control Unit (CBCU) in the vehicle to receive instructions remotely from the Autonomous Drive Controller (ADC). In turn, the ADC sends instructions to the Allison Transmission Control Module (TCM), vehicle brake and other control systems. The ADC replaces the human driver by monitoring road maps, barriers, loading and unloading positions. Allison’s 5th Generation electronic controls optimize the integration of the CBCU to the virtual shift selector function of the NTR100A in autonomous mode.

Rated at GVW 160 ton, the new model NTR100A couples to the Cummins QST30 with a maximum power of 783kW or 1050HP and a maximum torque of 4629Nm. Equipped with Allison’s 8610 ORS fully automatic transmission, the NTR100A can achieve a maximum speed of 47 km/h. In addition to providing dedicated autonomous mode calibration for virtual shift selection, Allison has also developed I/O (input/output) packages for control of autonomous mode, such as inhibiting reverse when the bed dump is hoisted.

"Allison transmissions are highly regarded in the mining industry for their excellent performance, quality, reliability and increased uptime. Allison ORS transmissions only require their first maintenance after 18,000 hours," said Zhao Xinchun, Manager of NHL Customer Service Center. "Autonomous mining trucks will be the future trend and the application of Allison transmissions in this area is progressing very well. We look forward to further cooperation and a satisfactory outcome in the field of self-driving vehicles.”

At present, 20 units of driverless NTR100A rigid dump trucks with Allison 8610 ORS have been delivered to Conch Cement, the largest cement maker in China. These trucks will be operated every day in demanding and hazardous conditions, while addressing the shortage of drivers and eliminating human operational errors.

“Designed to match the most severe conditions, Allison 8610 ORS delivers consistent torque and provides more power to the wheels. It offers dump trucks better control and maneuverability on loose soil, while enhancing traction on uphill and downhill grades,” said Chen Jing, Deputy Managing Director for Allison China Sales. “Armed with shift energy management, this not only improves transmission durability and overall performance, but also contributes to the entire vehicle’s fuel economy. With its prognostic functions, the end-user will be informed on the maintenance schedule well in advance thus preventing major transmissions failures.”

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