The world has changed for the Cummins organisation in recent years, as it has for many component suppliers to the truck and trucking industry.
A series of exhaust emission changes over the last 20-plus years are now being followed by an opening up of many new technologies as the truck making world prepares for the transformation across to zero or low carbon operation.
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Cummins as a supplier of engines for most of its history has diversified to now offer complete drivelines and braking systems to the truck manufacturers, with its acquisition, among others, of the Meritor component business.
Complete drivelines are the way of the future in truck manufacturing with the advent of diverse power sources, as the trucking industry moves away from its dependence on diesel and towards electric, hydrogen and other alternative propulsion methods.
As a result, at this year’s Brisbane Truck Show, it wasn’t a matter of a stand full of large and small, red diesel engines, it was a glimpse into the future potential drivelines available to the truck, but with some large red diesel engines of course!
Probably the most notable element of the display was the latest Cummins engine, the next generation X15, available in a number of forms.
There is the X15D, currently available in the DAF XG models, the X15H, hydrogen internal combustion engine (ICE) and the X15N, another ICE but using natural gas for power. Previously classified as the ‘Agnostic’ engine, it is now part of the HELM program (Higher Efficiency, Lower emissions, Multiple fuels) from Cummins.
There are also components like e-axles to simplify the electric powered truck driveline and to free up chassis space for the bulky batteries needed to power them.
“This brings together the various components in the Cummins family, the engine and aftertreatment system, the axle systems and the transmission that comes from our joint venture with Eaton,” says Sean Maclean, Director and General Manager at Cummins Asia Pacific.
The display included the current Euro 6 X15 engine, which we can expect to see fitted in trucks in Australia for some time to come, with ADR 80/04 becoming mandatory in November 2025.
However, the big story from Cummins is all about the integration of the powertrain, whether it’s the joint venture between Cummins and Eaton using integrated software, or developing systems to work with the alternative power sources which will be coming along.
The full integration of the Meritor product into the drivetrain is becoming more mature. It is now possible to include a steer axle, rear axle, etc. Then there’s the drum brakes and disc brakes to stop the truck.
“Traditionally, we’ve developed components in a very compartmentalised way,” says Sean.
“The engine business has done what it needs to do from an engine perspective, the axle side of the business has done the same. What we’re trying to do now, as we move forward, is different. More and more of the development is not thinking about those individual parts.
“Now we start with the big picture as we move forward. That’s really how we’re trying to increase our integration. It’s looking at a complete system, whereas before, each part was a separate component and we were just looking at optimising the component. Now, there’s more systems talking to each other, integrating.
“It’s also about packaging, providing the right packaging solution for the different applications that our OEMs have. It’s about weight reduction, improving reliability, longevity, reducing the friction. It’s the sum of that from a system perspective now.”
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