Volvo OptiShift sounds good to me. I would like to try one of thoose in a quarry, everything that saves seconds on loading trucks and stockpiling crushed rock is appreciated. I wounder how fast you actually can go forward, and then reverse without braking. YouTube - Volvo OptiShift for Wheel Loaders - L150F, L180F and L220F
Seems like when a manufacturer designs a new system or a improvement Volvo takes it to a new level. Im glad to see Volvo continue there leadership in the wheel loader market.
I would be worried about brake life/wear with the reverse by braking feature. I don't like the brakes being engaged by anyone other than me. The lockup is a good move though not new like the marketing hype suggests. Cat (large loaders), Komatsu, and most recently Deere have all had this feature for awhile. Volvo is catching up and it's about time. Anyone know what the cost for the lockups are? I remember Volvo saying at ConExpo that their L220 hybrid saved 15% fuel. This says the lockup does too. I wonder if they will continue to push their hybrid now? LM.
I bet this is taken from the graders. The graders has no converter, only a pedal operating the biggest clutch(es) in the box. So the electronics for controlling a machine without a converter is already there. Same goes for the directional change, has for years worked well in the graders. Even got different programs for different type of work. (Transport, auto and manual) Each adapted to gearchange on different rpm's. The thing here is to get enough life out of the clutches involved when changing direction. But, this can also be achieved with a oilfilm between the plates before full engagement. I'll have a tech talk with Volvo at Bauma...
I wonder if Volvo will give the option to rebuild this convertor..... Most if not all of their convertors are welded shut with no option to rebuild.
The automatic brake when changing direction has also been done before but mechanically not with computer.
By who....and how??
Not the same application but still same concept, the Allis Chalmers HD12G track loader last series (B?) before Fiat took over. The steering brakes would kick in when you went through neutral with the power shift. I imagine hydraulic not mechanical like I said. We plaid with one in a dealers yard for a few minutes, and I've never seen another one since. Fiat replaced the AC loaders with their own so production was probably very low. I tried to find a picture on the web but no luck except for Ebay and they no longer seem to allow copying pictures. The same machine had a rear radiator.