ERGONOMICS & STYLING
Curtiss-Wright’s new
family of traction
inverters
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iVT International Off-Highway 2020 103
ensure correct operation - and if an error is
detected, its condition is communicated to the
host electronics to ensure a safe operating
situation is assumed. Additionally, each output
signal is calibrated to account for thermal drift,
ensuring accuracy over the operating
temperature range.
The IP67-sealed design offers exceptional
levels of performance with respect to water, dust,
shock, vibration and temperature, making the
sensor is ideal for use in hostile, on- and offhighway
vehicle environments. Electrical
connection is via an integrated 4-pin Deutsch
DT04 connector.
Hybrid innovations
In recent years, there have been many trends and
customer requirements that have affected
Curtiss-Wright’s approach to design and
manufacturing.
One such trend is the ‘hybridization’ of
construction-based vehicles. Curtiss-Wright has
extensive experience in the design and
manufacture of solutions for the monitoring and
control of vehicles.
The dynamic state of global emissions
regulations has driven all vehicle OEMs to seek
flexible, cost-effective technologies to meet everchanging
regulatory demands. At the same time,
technologies which improve fuel efficiency and
ensure safe and easy operation in complex
environments are being sought.
New vehicle controls are expected to simplify
operation, automate daily tasks and reduce
human error, playing a vital role in
transportation’s economic success. Curtiss-
Wright is also addressing new energy solutions
for a greener environment by providing advanced
motor controllers and power electronics for
hybrid and electric vehicles.
For vehicle control applications, Curtiss-
Wright’s World Traction Inverter (WTI) series
offers state-of-the-art technology and innovative
design for use in construction-based hybrid and
pure-electric applications.
The WTI series operates with multiple motor
technologies – including AC-induction,
permanent-magnet synchronous (PMS) and
interior permanent-magnet (IPM) types – and
offers a high level of self-protection with both
current and transistor temperature measuring
locally to the IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar
Transistor) rather than through remote
components. This technique delivers fast
and accurate temperature measurements,
offering effective protection against adverse highcurrent
conditions including short-circuit or
thermal overload.
Advanced motor control algorithms using
field-oriented control with space-vector
modulation, combined with a 2-10kHz variable
switching frequency, means high operating
efficiency and increased operation time. A
fundamental frequency up to 1000Hz allows the
WTI series to drive high-pole-pair, high-speed
motors. A torque motor-control mode is available
for hybrid applications, speed mode for pureelectric
applications or DC bus voltage mode. In
DC bus mode, the inverter can moderate adverse
and damaging voltages which may arise from
situations such as regenerative braking.
The WTI series also offers a versatile
connection to master control systems by either
J1939 or CANbus protocols. A customizable,
discrete interface also supports digital, analog
and solenoid-drive control options.
Future developments
Fully-electronic operator controls offer huge
improvements in vehicle reliability and maximize
comfort for the operator, helping to increase the
productivity of industrial vehicles, reduce
operator fatigue and improve safety.
Curtiss-Wright is currently developing an allnew
pedal system that is designed to replace
hydraulic pedal/lever systems for smaller tracked
excavators and skid-steer vehicles.
The Dampened Rocker Pedal is a heavy-duty,
floor-mounted electronic rocker pedal featuring a
dampening mechanism that has been integrated
into the pedal module to prevent unintended
oscillation throughout the pedal travel. A
common pedal module allows for applicationspecific
treadles, handles and pedal rotations; and
configuring the pedal module with treadles and
handles allows for a drop-in replacement to
hydraulic excavator travel pedals without
extending below the cab floor.
So whether Curtiss-Wright is creating new
concepts to address an OEM specification, or
customizing existing products to better suit an
application, its global team of engineers is ready
for the challenge and will partner with design
teams to ensure the most reliable and costeffective
equipment is developed.
Curtiss-Wright engineers are focused on
developing innovative solutions and nextgeneration
technology. This intelligent
engineering, from initial concept to finished
product, demonstrates its commitment to
providing the advanced components and subsystems
demanded by today’s industrial vehicle
manufacturers. iVT
Author: Christian Howe, marketing manager,
Curtiss-Wright
The new range
of tilt sensors
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