Behr And Kenworth Develop New Thermal Management System

DETROIT, June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Kenworth's "Most Aerodynamic Truck Ever" was shown for the first time in Detroit during a press briefing with engineers from Behr America and Kenworth today (June 19) at the Detroit Port Authority.

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Kenworth's T680 heavy-duty truck offers a new industry-leading thermal-management system developed by engineering teams at Behr America in Troy, Mich., and Kenworth Truck Company in Kirkland, Washington.

"We believe the spirit of teamwork that developed among the Kenworth and Behr engineers helped produce the best-performing thermal system on the market today," said Doug Caley, engineering manager for Kenworth. "By integrating Behr into the product design team early in the program, we were able to achieve world-class performance."

In addition to its world-class thermal management system, the Kenworth T680 Class 8 truck is quieter, more fuel-efficient and more aerodynamic. It was unveiled for the first time at the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville this spring.

According to Kenworth, the Kenworth T680 was engineered with 65 percent more storage capacity, a 50 percent larger windshield, 40 percent less interior noise, 30 percent larger door openings, a 10 percent improvement in aerodynamics and best-in-class forward lighting.

Caley noted that the truck's new HVAC and engine-cooling systems were thoroughly tested to guarantee robustness, reduce downtime and provide new comfort features that help truck drivers focus on the road.

Thorough analysis of in-field data, as well as dealer and operator input, was a starting point for developing the new system.  Working together, Behr and Kenworth engineers focused on robustness and performance, solving technical challenges in the design phase, performing extensive testing to verify improvements, establishing a robust assembly process and creating new diagnostic methods for dealers to repair any issues effectively.

 "Close collaboration from concept through assembly resulted in improvements in all aspects of thermal-management performance," Caley added. "Our partnership approach has created an industry-leading product for our customers."

John Tepas, Behr America's vice president of engineering, said that "by engineering the full thermal-management system, Behr was able to precisely coordinate and integrate air-conditioning and engine-cooling systems to improve efficiency."

"We were able to improve heating, cooling and defrost performance as well as heater-core reliability; meet engine-cooling, ILVS (in-line vehicle sequencing) requirements, and integrate features to improve reliability for the compressor and refrigerant systems," Tepas added.  "A user-friendly automatic temperature control system also is an industry first."

Behr's North American headquarters are in Troy, Michigan. Behr America has more than 2,600 employees at facilities in Troy, Mich.; Dayton, Ohio; Charleston, S.C.; Fort Worth, Texas, and Ramos Arizpe, Mexico.

Behr GmbH & Co. KG, Stuttgart, Germany, is a systems partner for the international automobile industry. A specialist for automotive air conditioning and engine cooling systems, the Behr Group is one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of original equipment for light vehicles and trucks. Group sales in the 2011 business year came to EUR 3.7 billion. Currently, Behr employs some 17,400 staff at 36 production locations and 17 R&D centers worldwide.  Additional information is available at www.behrgroup.com.

Kenworth Truck Company is the manufacturer of The World's Best® heavy and medium duty trucks. Kenworth is an industry leader in providing fuel-saving technology solutions that help increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. The company's dedication to the green fleet includes aerodynamic trucks, compressed and liquefied natural gas trucks, and medium duty diesel-electric hybrids. Kenworth is the only truck manufacturer to receive the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Excellence award in recognition of its environmentally friendly products. In addition, the fuel-efficient Kenworth T700 equipped with the low-emission PACCAR MX engine was named the 2011 Heavy Duty Commercial Truck of the Year by the American Truck Dealers. Kenworth's Internet home page is at www.kenworth.com. Kenworth. A PACCAR Company.

SOURCE Behr America