Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2021 - 9

ORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT
Western Star adds 'weight sensitive' 47X to vocational lineup
" A key priority was
to consider how to
reduce mass without
compromising strength. "
With a shorter hood and a wheel cut up to 50 degrees, the all-new Western Star 47X optimizes
maneuverability for work on construction sites or operation in urban environments.
Western Star has extended its purposebuilt
X-Series vocational truck lineup
with the all-new 47X, targeting weightsensitive
applications like mixers and
bulk haul. The truck complements the
49X that launched earlier this year and
extends the platform's reach into entirely
new vocational applications.
" The 47X not only looks similar to our
49X, but it's got the same backbone -
the same chassis, the same electrical
system - which is great for upfit and
great for familiarity, " said Samantha
Parlier, VP of vocational market development
at Daimler Trucks North America.
The 47X is 10 inches (254 mm) shorter
than the 49X. With a standard 111.6-inch
bumper-to-back-of-cab (BBC), the 47X
is well suited to regions or applications
that require a shorter overall vehicle
length, such as drywall trucks. An optional
110.8-inch BBC also is available to
meet federal or local bridge law requirements,
such as mixers or super dumps.
The 47X's hood reportedly offers industry-leading
forward visibility of 24.8
feet (7.56 m) - an 11-inch (279-mm) improvement
over the 49X. Its composite
construction and ISO Tech suspension
system resist bending and cracking by
absorbing and dissipating vibrations
from road inputs. With the shorter hood
and a wheel cut up to 50 degrees, the
47X optimizes maneuverability for work
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
on construction sites or operation in congested
urban environments, according to
Tracy Mack-Askew, chief engineer of
chassis, propulsion and vocational engineering,
DTNA.
" A key priority was to consider how
to reduce mass without compromising
strength, " Mack-Askew said. " From the
cab to the frame rails, to powertrain
and battery configurations, we examined
all features to deliver weight savings
to our customers for greater productivity
and profitability. "
The 47X is approximately 200 lbs
(90.7 kg) lighter than the 49X in likefor-like
spec. All X-Series trucks have
lighter, tougher single-channel frame
rail options compared to legacy products.
The platform offers frame rails
with best-in-class RBM (resisting bending
moment) of up to 3.8 million inchlbs.
A new 9.5-mm (0.37-in) singlechannel
rail option is available and has
comparable strength to the current 11mm
(0.43-in) rail, Parlier said.
" You can shave about 120 pounds on
average out of a truck; the longer the
truck gets, the bigger the weight savings
because you save it per inch of rail, " she
said. Standard high-strength aluminum
forward, rear and end-of-frame crossmembers
further reduce mass, as does a
new two-battery option.
" Our target was 16,100 pounds for a
Tracy Mack-Askew, chief engineer of chassis,
propulsion and vocational engineering, DTNA.
mixer chassis, " Parlier said. " We hit
that target. "
Powertrain options
The 47X comes standard with the Detroit
DD13 Gen 5 engine, which features higher
compression ratios and a new swirl piston
design to further improve combustion
and efficiency. The Detroit Assurance
suite of active safety systems, including
active brake assist, side guard assist and
adaptive cruise control, is standard with
the DD13 Gen 5.
ThermoCoasting in the DD13 Gen 5
prevents aftertreatment cool-down during
a driving regen to keep the system
at its optimum temperature and significantly
reduce the need for parked regens,
company officials said.
For weight-sensitive applications, the
Cummins L9 and X12 engines are available
for the 47X. Optional front-engine power
take-off (FEPTO) is offered on both
Cummins engine offerings and the Detroit
DD13 for applications such as snowplows.
Similarly, rectangular fuel tanks and a
raised aftertreatment system mounting
are offered with Cummins engines for
December 2021 9
BOTH IMAGES: DAIMLER TRUCKS NORTH AMERICA

Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2021

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