The 6.5 ton adapted panel van maintains a consistent speed of 2 mph to match the walking pace of the operator who applies sealant to the prepared surface, fed from the van via an extruder arm. In previous stop-start conditions with the original manual transmission, the driver had to constantly engage and disengage the clutch.
According to Allied Infrastructure Management, the switch has resulted in improved efficiency, reliability, ease of operation and confidence in the vehicle delivering maximum uptime.
Upgrading to the Allison fully automatic transmission has also negated the issue of clutch wear and fear of potential failure and vehicle downtime due to overheating. Allison’s torque converter increases engine torque and offers uninterrupted power during acceleration and gear shifting, which contributes to making the application of the sealant easier and smoother.
Allied Infrastructure contacted Iveco specialist, Dunstable-based Northern Commercials, which recommended and implemented the Allison Transmission solution, based on other successful installations using the 1000 Series. Notable examples were two fire trucks in the Netherlands and a police van in Switzerland. All three conversions were carried out with close support from Iveco.
‘The improvement has been significant. Efficiency and reliability have increased markedly,’ commented Tricia Green, business development and key account manager, Allied Infrastructure UK.
‘Our operatives find the slow, even and smooth pace required for perfect delivery of the sealant far easier to achieve. This creates a better final outcome in terms of the quality and finish of the joint maintenance. Risk must be managed and minimised when you work in such tight time frames; in an environment such as an airport. We plan to re-gear our other extruders with Allison automatic transmissions in the future.’