Revolutionary Retarder for Midibuses

Voith will shortly launch the revolutionary secondary brake Voith Magnetarder in cooperation with the Japanese retarder manufacturer SMI (Sumitomo Metal Industries). The basis of this launch is a joint venture established in January 2008 between the Voith Turbo Product Group Retarders and the Japanese manufacturer Sumitomo Metal Industries. With the Magnetarder, the new joint venture trading under the name of Voith Turbo SMI Technologies (VTST), offers the ideal solution for vehicles in the 7.5 to 16 ton GVW segment.

 

Voith Turbo has been one of the leading suppliers of hydrodynamic retarders for 45 years. With the Magnetarder, Voith will in future produce a completely new brake that incorporates the eddy-current principle but does not require any auxiliary energy. For this purpose, the stator contains a number of maximum-strength permanent magnets. These magnets are arranged in such a way, that the opposing poles face each other. When the Magnetarder is switched off, the magnets are bridged, so that magnetic power flows through the poles. When switched on, the magnets are positioned by compressed air to allow magnetic forces flowing through the poles to the rotor. During this process, strong eddy currents are generated, which brake the rotor.

 

The compact Permanent Magnet retarder, which weighs only 43 kg, has proven itself in Japan already 120,000 times. SMI produces approximately 13,000 units every year, because the retarder is standard equipment in nearly all highway buses in Japan. For Voith Turbo the Magnetarder represents an ideal expansion of the company's retarder program towards the lower vehicle range from 7.5 to 16 tons. Initially, the Magnetarder will be completely supplied from Japan by SMI. Simultaneously, VTST will introduce measures to optimize the design of the Magnetarder. In the first quarter of 2010, the first Magnetarder made at Voith Turbo in Germany will enter the market.

 

Apart from its low weight, the key advantage of the Magnetarder is its low heat generation. For this reason, the Magnetarder represents a long awaited solution in the segment for compressed natural gas vehicles (CNG vehicles). The Magnetarder can be easily installed, there is no need for shortening the propshaft, and the secondary brake is completely maintenance-free. Owing to the protection of the driveline and the longer life of the service brake, vehicle operating costs are reduced. Measurements have shown that the application of the service brake in a 12-ton vehicle is reduced by 64 percent on a typical route, if a Magnetarder is used. Combined with farsighted driving, the utilization of the retarder saves time and fuel. The Magnetarder delivers excellent secondary braking powers across the entire speed range, and, most of all, extra safety reserves, as the service brakes are always cold for emergency situations.

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