Mack® Command Steer, Mack’s highly anticipated active steering system that reduces driver fatigue, is now in production in Mack Granite® axle back models.
Produced at Mack’s Lehigh Valley Operations (LVO) facility in Macungie, Pennsylvania, where all Mack Class 8 models for North America and export are assembled, Mack Granite models with Command Steer help reduce the physical demands of working on a jobsite.
“Driving a heavy-duty construction truck is physically demanding on the body,” said Tim Wrinkle, Mack construction product manager. “Jobsites have uneven road conditions, which contribute to wear and tear on the driver. Mack Command Steer has been shown to reduce driver effort by 85 percent, improving jobsite safety and driver productivity.”
Mack Command Steer combines an electric motor with the Mack Granite model’s existing hydraulic steering. Multiple sensors throughout the truck monitor the terrain, driver inputs and environmental elements more than 2,000 times per second. Based on the collected data, the system provides variable steering effort through its electric motor, applying additional torque as needed to make it easier to keep the truck on the desired route.
Along with a significant reduction in driver steering efforts at slow speeds, Command Steer suppresses uneven terrain, such as potholes, dips and ruts. The system reacts to those irregularities by countering the steer force, smoothing the steering feedback and reducing steering wheel “kicks.”
“Drivers no longer need to fight the wheel when driving on severe terrain or during difficult weather conditions requiring a lot of steer effort,” Wrinkle said. “Mack Command Steer helps the driver maintain greater control of both on-highway and off-road applications at low speeds and high speeds.”
An additional benefit of Mack Command Steer is that the system features a unique return-to-zero capability that automatically returns the steering wheel to the center position in forward and reverse, helping to simplify tight maneuvers.
SOURCE: Mack Trucks
