AAL announces its first green axle for the Indian market

Automotive Axles, Ltd. (AAL), a joint venture of Kalyani Group and Meritor Inc., has recently celebrated its 30thanniversary with more than 1,000 customers, suppliers and employees at its manufacturing facility in Mysore. The company has also launched its first green axle, the new two-speed model MS 13 240. The axle is ideal for a wide range of commercial vehicles including 4X2 dump applications as well as 4X2, 6X2 and 8X2 haulage vehicles. The MS 13 240 series will enter full production in mid-2011. “Using proven drivetrain technology, we’ve developed a new two-speed axle for India that increases operational efficiency with extreme grade capability,” said Ashok Rao, president, AAL. “With access to a global network of expertise, we are developing “green” products engineered to provide our customers with axle solutions that offer energy efficiency, superior performance, and reliability.” AAL’s new two-speed axle is customised for local operating conditions, while using proven technology developed for Meritor axle applications in various regions of the world – providing AAL customers with global quality at a local price. According to Raghunathan Sundararajan, vice-president, Meritor India, “The MS 13 240 axle not only provides increased fuel efficiency, it also improves turnaround time.” The MS 13 240 is approximately 6-8 percent more fuel efficient than a conventional axle configuration and offers traction-on-demand allowing the driver to effectively manage difficult gradients. The multiple ratio design facilitates fast track road infrastructure and hill climbing. The axle is available in nine ratio sets ranging from 4.10/5.59 to 7.17/9.77. Automotive Axles, Ltd. (AAL), a joint venture of Kalyani Group and Meritor Inc., today celebrated its 30thanniversary with more than 1,000 customers, suppliers and employees at its manufacturing facility in Mysore. “Because of the trust vested in us by our customers and the value recognized by our supplier partners, we have been able to achieve more than we anticipated when we began this joint venture 30 years ago, said Baba Kalyani, chairman, AAL. “This partnership has enabled us to provide evolving drivetrain solutions highly customized for the India landscape.” “India’s growth in the commercial vehicle and industrial markets has been significant,” said Chip McClure, chairman, CEO and president, Meritor, Inc. “The ongoing development of this country and the aspirations of its people provide us with the opportunity to serve these markets. We value our relationship with the Kalyani Group and are proud to say it continues to be one of our most successful joint ventures.” As part of the celebration, AAL displayed its 1,000,000th “golden” axle produced in India as a symbol of the strength of the partnership. The axle will be retained by the company as a memento of this significant occasion. AAL also announced that in mid-2011 it will launch a new two-speed axle, the MS 13 240, that offers advanced traction control, improved fuel efficiency and higher levels of performance. In the future, the company also plans to introduce advanced solutions in drum and disc brakes, new products for off-highway applications, and drivetrain and suspension products for military vehicles.