Voith's service and consulting program DIWA Excellence allows bus operators to reduce their operating costs and increase availability.
The reason for this is the optimization of fuel consumption as well as preventative measures in maintenance and repairs. At the IAA Commercial Vehicles exhibition, Voith is presenting the second generation of the telemetric sys-tem DIWA SmartNet, which can now also transfer data via W-LAN. "Re-manufactured by Voith" is a further service highlight at the exhibition. Transmissions, control units and retarders are completely overhauled and brought into line with the state of the art. At the IAA, Voith will be demon-strating what an overhauled retarder looks like in comparison with a used retarder using the example of a 115 HV oil retarder. The Voith service package also includes the option of retrofitting pre-charged two- and three-cylinder air compressors. With this, bus operators can reduce fuel con-sumption among other things.
DIWA Excellence begins with the configuration of the driveline and ex-tends over the entire life cycle. For all measures included in the service and consulting program, the objectives for bus operators are: To reduce costs, make overhauls plannable, keep repair times short and ensure the availability of their vehicles. Lower fuel consumption is essential to operate buses more efficiently and sustainably. Voith supports this customer re-quirement by the individual configuration of the driveline and the recording and evaluation of operating data.
Second Generation of DIWA SmartNet at the IAA
For 15 years, Voith has been a forerunner in providing advice for bus op-erators by means of operating data. Transmission monitoring with DIWA SmartNet increases the availability of the vehicle. In more than 1 500 vehicles worldwide, the Voith telemetric system DIWA SmartNet has proved its value as an automatic monitoring system for DIWA transmissions over the past four years.
At the IAA, Voith will be demonstrating how operating and maintenance data for transmissions can be read out and evaluated with DIWA
SmartNet. At the exhibition, the DIWA SmartCase, a W-LAN module, will be plugged in to an E300.1 control unit. The vehicle data which is con-tained in the control unit will be downloaded onto a tablet. On the basis of the data which is transferred, it can then be checked which transmissions will soon need to be repaired or replaced.
With this new generation, the use of transmission data for optimization of vehicle operation and workshop planning are even simpler and cheaper. The data can be transferred by various methods: One way this can be done is via WLAN and app onto a smartphone, which makes the costs for transfer by mobile phone a thing of the past. There is also a solution for connecting to an existing onboard computer of a fleet management sys-tem.
In an emergency, the operator immediately receives an automatically gen-erated error message via email and can plan a visit to the workshop before the vehicle breaks down on the road. This reduces costs and increases the availability of the vehicles.
"Remanufactured by Voith": Used Components As Good As New
As part of the DIWA Excellence program, Voith offers exchange transmis-sions, which are in the same condition as a new transmission. These are completely overhauled at the Munich location and are brought up to the state of the art, i.e., remanufactured. With this, the global Voith service network can provide the necessary technical support in a fast and cost-efficient way, as well as spare parts, including exchange transmissions "remanufactured by Voith". With these exchange transmissions, operators receive a unit which is at the same technical level as a new transmission. Thanks to the fast availability of Voith exchange transmissions, downtimes are considerably reduced.
Not only transmissions, but also electronic control units and retarders are sustainably overhauled in this way. At the IAA Voith will be showing the remanufacturing of an oil retarder. It is clear to see: The repaired and overhauled component is as good as new. This not only means a cost ad-vantage in comparison with a new transmission or retarder, but also lower consumption of resources due to the re-use of the used part, which would otherwise be scrapped.
Oil Change Interval Now Only Every 180 000 Kilometers
In many years of tests, Voith has developed a high performance automatic transmission oil in close cooperation with Shell. This enables the permissi-ble oil change interval for DIWA.5 and DIWA.6 transmissions to be ex-tended to 180 000 kilometers or three years. The new Shell Spirax S6 ATF VM Plus oil has a beneficial effect on the wear and lifetime of the trans-mission; maintenance is simplified and shifting behavior remains comfort-able.
Air Compressors As Retrofits
At the IAA exhibition stand, Voith will also be demonstrating its two air compressors, the LP 725 and the LP 490, which are already used in series for the new generation of Euro 6 engines. In the context of its service package, Voith offers the option of retrofitting pre-charged two- and three-cylinder air compressors. Two of the benefits which vehicle operators can expect are fuel savings of up to one liter per 100 kilometers and low ener-gy consumption thanks to an innovative idle system. Voith supplies con-version kits for various Mercedes-Benz, MAN and Volvo Euro 3 to Euro 5 engines.
