Transmission specialist Oerlikon Fairfield co-presented details of an innovative electric drive system for off-highway vehicles at the recent VDI International Congress in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The system integrates an Oerlikon Fairfield Torque Hub planetary drive with an Interior Permanent Magnet Motor produced by Ashwoods Electrical Motors, to create an ultra-compact drive solution that is up to 70 per cent smaller and lighter and 20 per cent more efficient than traditional motors used in off-highway traction applications.

?The improved efficiency, small package size and competitive cost of this integrated solution sets a new benchmark for electric drives in the off-highway sector,? explained Gunnar Stein, Chief Technical Officer of Oerlikon?s Drive Systems Segment. ?The unit is so compact that it enables vehicle manufacturers to provide a steerable four-wheel-drive configuration where previously there was not enough space to offer this possibility.?

The complete unit can deliver 4,000 Nm of drive torque and 5,600 Nm of braking torque, yet the motor is up to 70 per cent smaller and lighter than current production solutions that use larger, less efficient brushed DC or induction motors coupled to a planetary gearbox.