Professor David Cebon, Director of the CVDC said "ABD are leading suppliers of advanced testing systems for the motor industry.  They will be a huge asset to the consortium"

As part of their associate membership, the CVDC has a acquired an SR30 steering robot which will be used for testing in a variety of research projects.

On receiving the new tractor unit, Professor David Cebon, Director of CVDC, remarked: "The type of work we do in the CVDC is critically dependent on having the capability to do full scale testing of heavy vehicles.  We are indebted to Volvo for their generous gift which will allow us to continue this work for the foreseeable future."

The Volvo tractor unit was shipped to its new home near Cambridge in early November, where the research team has begun instrumenting and equipping it for its new role as research work-horse.

Volvo Trucks has been a key member of the CVDC since 1996, and donated a red FH12 tractor unit in 2000.  In its more than 10 years’ service, the red tractor has played a pivotal role in many of the CVDC’s research projects, including semi-active suspension;  active roll control; and active trailer steering.  Currently, researchers in the CVDC are investigating a number of aspects for heavy goods vehicles, innovating in: advanced ABS systems, regenerative braking, autonomous reversing, accident avoidance and use of long combination vehicles off-highway.  The new truck will be pressed into service on all of these projects.  The overall aim is to make heavy goods vehicles safer, more economical, and more fuel efficient.

Professor David Cebon, Director of the CVDC said "With over 80 years of experience and more than 4,000 vehicles, Wincanton makes a great addition to the CVDC. Logistics is a growing area of research for the CVDC, and Wincanton's support will be important for these projects."

Professor David Cebon, Director of the CVDC said “SDC is a key missing piece in the CVDC puzzle.  Trailers form a huge part of our research and the expertise of such a prominent trailer manufacturer will prove invaluable in future projects."

The CVDC held its September meeting at the headquarters of Poclain Hydraulics, one of the newest members of the Consortium. This was also the first meeting for Tridec, another new member to the consortium.

The University researchers presented their work over the last six months encompassing areas such as whole life pavement modelling, vulnerable road users, advanced ABS and regenerative braking.  Future research directions were also discussed, and possible future projects were suggested.

During a break in the proceedings Poclain demonstrated various display vehicles to the members as well as giving a tour of their extensive laboratory facilities.

The full day's proceedings are available to the consortium members via the Members section of the website.

Will's presentation was titled 'Specifying a Hydraulic Regenerative Braking System for an Articulated Urban Delivery Vehicle', and was well-received by the attendees.

The CVDC is pleased to announce that Tridec B.V. has joined the Consortium.  Tridec is a world leader in development and manufacturing of mechanical and hydraulic steering systems and axle suspensions for all types of trailers.

David Cebon, Director of the CVDC said "We are delighted that Tridec has joined Team-CVDC.  Their vast experience in manufacture of steerable axles is complementary to CVDC's work on active steering.  We look forward to researching a range of innovative technologies together."

Cambridge, UK and Verberie, France 01/03/2011

Poclain brings 30 years of hydraulics experience in the development of innovative hydraulic motors for heavy-vehicle and agricultural applications. Poclain’s recent work on the French hybrid Irisbus project will make them an invaluable contributor to the hybrid vehicle/energy efficiency research that CVDC is undertaking. “Improving the energy efficiency of freight transport is a vital waypoint on the road to a sustainable economy,” said Professor David Cebon, Director of the CVDC. “Poclain Hydraulics brings a demonstrated commitment to hybrid vehicle research with the practical experience to see ideas translated into results.”

Poclain is a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of hydrostatic transmissions with integrated cam lobe motors. From its headquarters in Verberie, France, Poclain manages a sales and manufacturing team of over 1500 people. Poclain has factories in France, the USA, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, India, and Italy, which distribute through a global network of over 150 distributors.

For more on Poclain, visit their website (http://www.poclain-hydraulics.com/). For further information on the CVDC, contact Professor David Cebon (dc@eng.cam.ac.uk) or visit the CVDC website (http://www.cvdc.org).