Novi’s Maxion Wheels Tuesday unveiled new commercial vehicle wheels and related innovations at the North American Commercial Vehicle Show 2019 in Atlanta.
“Dramatic changes in mobility and alternative powertrains is the inspiration behind Maxion Wheels’ latest truck wheel innovations,” says Donald Polk, president of Maxion Wheels, Americas. “You might be surprised by the role a wheel can play in solving industry challenges, as evident in today’s press conference. Our showcased products demonstrate our commitment to creating the industry’s most cost-effective, robust wheel solutions for today and tomorrow.”
The Tough and Light North American Commercial Vehicle Steel Wheel weighs 64 pounds and is the company’s newest truck wheel. It is a standard 22.5×8.25 commercial vehicle steel wheel and will be available in 2020. It weighs less than its predecessor but it stronger.
With a 7,400-pound wheel load rating, the wheel features a new circular hand hole shape deviating from the traditional Maxion D-shape. This change and design optimization analysis reduced wheel structural stresses by more than 10 percent, resulting in a lighter and more efficient and durable wheel compared to the previous generation.
The wheel will help improve fuel efficiency and decrease emissions.
The Smart Wheel Connectivity Solution is a result of a partnership with ZF Openmatics. It helps fleets perform more safely and efficiently by collecting vehicle data at the wheels through MaxSmart technology. It is paired with ZF’s intelligent sensing and telematics expertise to offer a mechanical and sensing solution to help prevent tire and wheel-end failures.
Mounted on the truck wheel rim, the Bluetooth tag tracks vehicle load, tire humidity, temperature, air pressure, wheel position, speed, and vibration across nine axes. Information is collected in real time and wirelessly transmitted to the vehicle’s onboard telematics before being transferred to the ZF Cloud.
The sensor will undergo feasibility studies during the first half of 2020, followed by real-world testing and validation.
As goods transportation changes with a number of Class 3-7 light- and medium-duty vehicles now serving the last mile of delivery, Maxion developed the Last Mile Delivery wheel – a steel wheel repurposed for new mobility urban transport vehicles.
Finally, Maxion showed Aerowheel, its drag-reducing, patent-pending aerodynamic concept wheel cover for the steer axle. The cover proved to reduce drag and improve fuel efficiency.
Maxion is a division of IOCHPE-Maxion S.A. and a wheel manufacturer for passenger cars, light trucks, buses, commercial trucks, trailers, agriculture applications, and off-highway applications. It has been in business for more than 100 years, has 10,000 employees globally, and produces nearly 60 million wheels per year.
