The longest paper route; Allison-equipped Econic crane truck completes over 360,000 km collecting paper

A 1999 Econic has enjoyed a second lease of life in Düsseldorf, Germany clocking over 360,000 km on a stop-start duty cycle. While emptying over 275,000 recycling paper banks it has demonstrated the highest level of reliability.

Düsseldorf – At the beginning of 2007, AWISTA, the company responsible for waste management and city cleaning in Düsseldorf, decided to take over a used Mercedes-Benz Econic 2628 6x2/4 for the collection of recycling paper ‘igloos’ in the city. As an early adopter of the Econic, AWISTA knew the crane-equipped truck would be more than capable of good performance, but its reliability has surpassed even their expectations. AWISTA has a total of six Econic crane trucks in service for paper collection; three new vehicles were purchased in 2005, with a further three bought ‘second-hand’ in 2007. The Econic is fitted as standard with an Allison 3000 Series fully automatic transmission using an adaptive electronic control system to provide optimal performance for the duty cycle. The AWISTA Econic has Geesink bodywork and a Penz crane. A total of 1,100 paper banks are located in the Düsseldorf area and are emptied three times a week. Typically, a vehicle empties around 150 so called ‘paper-igloos’ per shift, but with double shifts and working on Saturdays, the older Econic in question collects 300, explaining the remarkable 363,000 km completed in just three years. During this time it has emptied approximately 275,000 paper banks and collected around 55,000 tons of paper. According to the operators, an Allison transmission and good maintenance are behind the reliability. “The vehicle is delivering exceptional returns,” says Bert Schröer, workshop supervisor of AWISTA. “Normally we double shift crane trucks for five or six years. But this Econic is running for double that time, for around ten years and ten months. During the whole time we haven’t had to make any repairs on the Allison fully automatic transmission. We simply follow routine maintenance intervals for the chassis with a general or safety inspection every six months in the workshop,” The vehicle and its transmission is also providing a worthy cost benefit as Schröer explains; “During the same time a vehicle with a manual transmission would have needed at least four new clutches, costing 4,500 Euros each.” The efficient design of the Allison fully automatic transmission makes it the ideal solution for all severe missions where reliability, durability and performance are key for optimum service and low operating cost. “An Allison uses the torque converter module as the vehicle launching device,” says Manlio Alvaro, Allison’s European marketing manager. “The advanced torque converter ensures coupling with the engine without the need of a dry clutch and delivers superior startability while reducing driveline stress and wear. This is essential in refuse applications and is why Allison transmissions are so trusted in the sector.” Longer maintenance intervals with optimal transmission fluid The engineers in the AWISTA workshop attribute transmission performance and durability largely to the use of TranSynd synthetic transmission fluid and high performance filters (fitted as standard in the Allison 3000 and 4000 Series). Since the purchase of the Econic, AWISTA has been using the synthetic transmission fluid which Allison developed in partnership with Castrol. “TranSynd is not the cheapest solution at first glance, but in the end it brings a lot of advantages,” says Uwe Klein, division workshop manager for refuse vehicles. “Longer oil and filter service intervals in comparison to other automatic transmission fluids, fewer oil changes and above all, the enormous reliability of the transmission. That saves cost, and there is less downtime.” Parked cars, spinning containers: precision counts The emptying of the paper banks in Düsseldorf is a very challenging task, but having an Econic helps as AWISTA driver Marek Krzyzaniak explains; “Parked vehicles make the street sometimes very narrow, but you have a great view through the Econic’s panoramic window and the fully automatic transmission simplifies the work enormously.” This is especially true in the tight city centre streets where centimetres count, and the operators benefit from the precise manoeuvrability delivered by the Allison transmission. Handling a 400kg paper bank using the crane is considerably more tricky, requiring full concentration as the ‘igloo’ is slowly lifted in the air. It demands a delicate hand as it can quickly start to spin. The aim, to get the paper bank over the funnel on the refuse vehicle, is easier said than done. As soon as the paper bank is directly over the funnel, a chain hoist is activated unlocking the bottom of the paper bank via a lever. Hatches are then opened and the paper falls into the compactor. Working at 240 bar, it ensures as much paper as possible fits into the Geesink bodywork. Both the crane and the compactor are driven by the PTO installed directly on the transmission. Collecting for the future Even though the number of private households having their own bins is increasing, restricted space means communal paper bins and the trusted fully automatic Econics, will be around for some time to come. Overview: ECONIC 2628, year of manufacture 1999 Type ECONIC 2628 LL 6x2 / 4 Engine performance 210 kW (286 PS) Gross vehicle weight 26 t Registration date 20.10.1999 Mileage (as at Sept. 2010) 363.105 km Operating hours (as at Sept. 2010) 23.280 hours Transmission Allison MD 3060 Maximum input torque gross 1261 Nm Maximum input power gross 243 kW (330 PS) About AWISTA – Company for waste management und city cleaning GmbH AWISTA GmbH is responsible for the disposal of every waste fraction in the complete city area of Düsseldorf and it operates its own workshop for refuse vehicles with around 75 employees, 53 of which are mechanics. Besides 325 own vehicles (44 of them have a fully automatic transmission by Allison) the AWISTA workshop services a fleet of around 2,500 different municipal vehicles. The biggest customers of the AWISTA workshop are the urban administration of Düsseldorf, the Stadtwerke Düsseldorf (the public utility company) and the municipal corporation in the town of Düsseldorf. About Allison Transmission, Inc. Allison Transmission, Inc. (Allison) is the premier global provider of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Allison products are specified by over 250 of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and are used in many market sectors including bus, refuse, fire, construction, distribution, military and specialty applications. Founded in 1915, the Allison business is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.A. and employs 3,000 people. Regional headquarters with dedicated support staff are located in China, The Netherlands, Brazil, India and Japan. With a global presence in 80 countries, Allison has over 1,550 distributor and dealer locations. More information about Allison is available at www.allisontransmission.com. Press Enquiries Claire Dumbreck, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF. +44 (0)1295 724130 / +44 (0) 7768 773857 claire@propel-technology.com Miranda Jansen, Allison Transmission Europe B.V. Marketing Communications, Baanhoek 188, 3361GN Sliedrecht - The Netherlands , Tel: +31 78-6422 174, miranda.jansen@allisontransmission.com

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