Mercedes-Benz Trucks to showcase new solutions at Bauma

At the bauma 2022 trade show Mercedes-Benz Trucks to showcase customized, integrated solutions for construction transport.

Uneven terrain, narrow access roads, limited room for maneuvering, transportation of heavy equipment and materials: Construction sites logistics are challenging for commercial vehicles. Mercedes-Benz Trucks offers an ample portfolio to serve almost every segment, as the company's attendance at this year’s bauma in Munich, the world’s leading trade show for the construction industry, will demonstrate. From October 24 to 30, 2022, Daimler Truck will give global decision-makers, procurers and users detailed insights into its vehicle range and customer-oriented mobility concepts at its trade show stand, as well as in the outdoor area. The exhibited range extends from the Atego and Unimog to the Arocs, Actros and eActros.

For years the conventional diesel engine Actros has been a reliable partner in construction transport when it comes to transporting bulk goods, primarily on- and occasionally off-road. This premium truck is now also available with a battery-electric drive. Developed primarily for heavy-duty distribution haulage, the eActros exploits its advantages, including local CO2-neutral drive and low-noise goods transport. As one example, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has built the eWorX all-in-one solution. eWorX is built on the eActros and was developed by ZF together with a roll-off tipper from MEILLER and a set-down skip loader from PALFINGER. eWorX establishes the link between the vehicle’s energy management system and the truck body and makes it possible to efficiently electrify power take-offs for operating hydraulic work equipment. The eActros presented at this year’s Mercedes-Benz Trucks bauma trade show stand, with its roll-off tipper from MEILLER suitable for transporting containers, enables a needs-based operation of its hydraulics thanks to the eWorX ZF system. In other words, the pump only operates when the body is moved. This prevents any superfluous energy consumption. Plus, there is none of the noise associated with a combustion engine. The eActros, with its set-down skip loader supplied by PALFINGER (the manufacturer of innovative lifting and crane solutions) also features the ZF eWorX system. It will be shown at PALFINGER's bauma trade show stand.

Mercedes-Benz Trucks relies on the ePowertrain for the eActros in the form of an electric rigid axle with two integrated electric motors and a two-speed transmission. The eActros’ batteries are comprised of either three (eActros 300) or four battery packs (eActros 400), each of which offers an installed capacity of 112 kWh[1] and a usable capacity of around 97 kWh[2]. With four battery packs, the eActros 400 has a range of up to 400 kilometers[3]. The eActros LongHaul, scheduled for series production in 2024, will boast a range of around 500 kilometers on a single battery charge, making it another interesting alternative for road-oriented construction applications.

As construction sites are often congested with workers and materials, one safety feature has proven particularly effective: MirrorCam. It is standard equipment on the eActros and an option in the Actros and Arocs trucks for distribution haulage, in place of conventional main and wide-angle mirrors. This second-generation mirror camera system has been in use since April 2022. It provides the driver with even better support in many road-traffic scenarios thanks to the camera arms being ten centimeters shorter on each side and new imaging parameters. One of the benefits of shortening the camera arms is that drivers can now reverse in a straight line more easily than was the case with the first generation. This is because the MirrorCam’s perspective now even more closely resembles that of a conventional glass mirror, which, in turn, facilitates the transition from mirrors to MirrorCam. Collisions with objects at the edge of the roadway are better avoided. In addition, engineers at Mercedes-Benz Trucks have further optimized tone mapping. Tone mapping is the process of adjusting an image to properly display a wide range of shades on a visual display. This is now particularly evident with the much improved contrast display. The evolution in both the color and brightness matching of the camera system, which is already very bright in nature, means that its displays can now more precisely depict the area relevant to the driving scenario, especially under critical lighting conditions.

In addition to the constantly growing portfolio of vehicles with battery-electric drives, Mercedes-Benz Trucks continues to set new standards in the premium segment of traditional diesel-powered trucks. One example is the third-generation OM 471 heavy-duty commercial vehicle engine. The “new” heavy-duty engine, available in the Actros and Arocs series in October 2022, further reduces total cost of ownership (TCO) without affecting performance, vehicle dynamics or driving comfort. One of the most important levers for increasing fuel efficiency in modern diesel engines is optimized turbocharging. With the third-generation OM 471, Mercedes-Benz Trucks introduces two new turbochargers precisely adapted to the broad range of customer requirements. The fuel consumption-optimized variant, planned for use in long-distance haulage, focuses on the lowest possible fuel consumption. The second turbocharger variant is designed for high performance and a high engine braking force, making it ideal for use in the heavy-duty and construction sector. For even more improved vehicle dynamics, Mercedes-Benz Trucks has also focused on the drivetrain: For example, the new PowerShift Advanced automated transmission control enables faster and smoother offline acceleration in many scenarios thanks to its precision gear selection. Accelerator pedal parameterization is also further optimized: Increased sensitivity in the lower pedal travel range enables significantly more precise maneuvering, while the direct response time in the upper pedal travel range results in increased dynamics under high load requirements. PowerShift also makes the truck easier to drive around, and accelerate out of roundabouts.

For Actros and Arocs trucks, which are mainly for on-road use but sometimes go off-road on difficult terrain such as construction sites and quarries, the engagable Hydraulic Auxiliary Drive (HAD) front wheel drive system makes work much simpler. HAD works up to a speed of 30 km/h and generates the necessary amount of additional traction to cope with demanding situations, such as steeper grades and slippery roads. The turbo retarder clutch (TRC) is a groundbreaking specialty for tougher deployments. As a combination of a hydraulic start-off clutch and a retarder in one common component, it allows for precision moving off and maneuvering even at low speeds and with heavy loads. As a primary retarder, it unleashes a braking power of 350 kW (476 hp). Together with the high-performance engine brake delivering up to 475 kW (646 hp), the TRC ensures a high level of performance.

At bauma 2022, Mercedes-Benz Trucks will showcase many other features that make working in construction-site transport even more efficient than before. To makethe Arocs even more resilient, for example, a new front axle with a 10-ton axle load has been developed. Among other things, this axle makes it possible to mount larger cranes and work equipment. The Multimedia Cockpit with its two color displays, installed in the Actros and Arocs model series as well as in the eActros, also proves to be a great assistance in everyday work as the heart of the Human Machine Interface (HMI). When the body or superstructure is in operation, it is shown via indicator lamps in the primary display. In addition, pop-up windows can be used to warn the driver, with up to ten messages being configurable. The second display can accommodate up to eight individually selectable virtual switches, such as for the fully enclosed swap body, for convenient integration of non-safety-relevant body functions. The new main headlights with LED light signature provide the Arocs and Actros an even more modern and unique look for distribution haulage. Full LED main headlights are also available as an option, which can provide even greater safety, especially in the dark. Compared to xenon headlights, LED headlights have a higher light intensity and produce very effective illumination of the road surface. In addition, LED lighting is easier to maintain and saves energy compared with conventional halogen lighting.It also boasts a longer service life and saves costs.