Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR)

Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) MKR15 – wrecker (160) MKR16 – tractor (381) MKR18 – cargo (1459) The Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) is a family of vehicles, based on a common 5-axle ten-wheel drive 10x10 chassis, that vary in individual configuration by mission requirements. The LVSR was designed and is manufactured by Oshkosh Defense. [2] LVSR is a purpose-designed military vehicle and there are currently three variants in service, a cargo, a wrecker and a tractor truck. [2] The first LVSRs were ordered in 2006. The LVSR is the U.S. Marines’ equivalent of the U.S. Army’s Oshkosh Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) and Oshkosh Palletized Load System (PLS). The Marines do not use the HEMTT or PLS [4] and the Army does not use the LVSR, but both services use a common trailer (M1076) with all three truck types. Development and production history [ edit ] The predecessor of the LVSR, the MK48 Logistics Vehicle System (LVS), had entered service with the US Marine Corps (USMC) from 1985 and in the late 1990s a project to replace the LVS was started. [5] As a precursor to a formal LVS replacement programme a number of manufacturers co-operated with the USMC to build and evaluate an Advanced Technology Demonstrator (ATD). The ATD was built during 1998 at the Nevada Automotive Test Centre (NATC). LVS Modification Demonstrators (LVS-MDs) were also built, these integrating commercially proven automotive components and technologies. [5] In April 2001, Logistics Management Institute (LMI) completed their final report for the 'Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) for the USMC Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR), concluding the best option was to rebuy a vehicle similar to the technology demonstrator. Five alternative options had been considered, these were: Inspect and Replace Only As Necessary (IROAN) for the LVS; rebuild the LVS; re-manufacture the LVS to a higher standard; rebuy a vehicle similar to the technology demonstrator; research and develop an entirely new vehicle. Around this time it was suggested that 2,000-3,000 vehicles might be required, although throughout the program numbers would fluctuate. [5] An LVSR industry day was held in late 2001, and a formal solicitation to industry was released in early 2003. This had been delayed from an expected April 2002. The LVSR Request for Information (RfI) had originally been expected in May 2000. [5] In March 2004 Oshkosh Truck Corporation (now Oshkosh Defense) announced that the US Marine Corps had awarded the company a Phase I System Development and Demonstration Contract to supply three LVSR trucks. These were to be delivered to the Marines for extensive endurance and performance testing within 12 months. [5] This award was the first phase of a two-phase acquisition competition valued in March 2004 at $783 million for up to 1,581 vehicles. Competition for the Phase II production award (scheduled for March 2006) was limited to those companies that successfully completed Phase I evaluation. The other company selected for the Phase I evaluation was the American Truck Company (ATC) with a TATRA-based design. [5] Phase 1 testing was completed in 2005 and in late-May 2006, the USMC awarded the LVSR Phase II contract to Oshkosh Truck Corporation. [5] An initial LVSR order issued on 31 May 2006 was valued at $28 million and ordered 22 cargo, two wrecker (recovery), and tractor truck LVSR variants, plus vehicle kits, training (operator/maintainer-cargo), test support-production verification testing cargo, meetings, and contract data requirements. [2] The first LVSR cargo variant began testing at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in June 2007. Tractor and wrecker prototype vehicles began testing in November 2007 and April 2008 respectively. An additional 123 cargo variants, which completed low rate initial production (LRIP) quantities, were subsequently ordered under option year two of the production contract. In January 2009, Oshkosh announced an LVSR delivery order valued at $176 million. This called for more than 425 LVSRs and transitioned LVSR from LRIP into full-rate production (FRP). [5] LVSR fielding began in April 2009 [2] for user trials and testing and the first vehicle was fielded to Afghanistan in September 2009. [2] LVSR deliveries were completed in September 2013. Orders totalled 2,022, with the total order value around $965.78 million. Deliveries included 1,505 MKR18 cargo variants, 355 MKR16 tractor trucks, and 162 MKR15 wreckers. The requirement for an LVSR companion trailer for the USMC has also been provided by Oshkosh. The M1076, which is already in service with the US Army, is the selected trailer. In May 2009, it was announced that the Marine Corps would receive an initial 30 M1076 PLST for use with the LVSR. By early 2016 the USMC had purchased a total of 687 PLST through a separate contract with the US Army. Technical description [ edit ] The LVSR is powered by a 15.2-litre Caterpillar C15 six-cylinder in-line turbocharged, water-cooled four-stroke diesel, developing 600 hp (448 kW). [4] This is coupled to a seven-speed Allison automatic gearbox and Oshkosh single-speed transfer case. Suspension is Oshkosh TAK-4 fully independent all-round, and by coil springs on the front two axles, hydraulic on the rear three. [5] The LVSR is based on a conventional C-section rigid chassis and to achieve the required turning radius, axles one, two, four, and five steer, the rear two axles steering mechanically and not electronically. [5] The two-seat cab fitted to the LVSR was designed from the outset to accept add-on armor. [5] The LVSR cargo variant is fitted with a hooklift-type load handling system, and all adapters and lift hardware are stored on the vehicle. [6] The load handling system fitted is essentially the same system fitted to Oshkosh M1074/M1075 PLS and M1120 HEMTT, these systems being a licence-produced and revised version of the Multilift Mark 4 (now designated MPH165) system fitted to the British Army's De-mountable Rack Off-loading and Pick-up System (DROPS). [5] The LVSR has been designed to complement the USMC Oshkosh MTVR fleet with both types sharing some common parts and similar maintenance training. Wheels, tyres, front axles, and TAK-4 suspension are common with the USMC MTVR. [2] [5] The MKR15 recovery variant is able to flat tow a 110,000 pound (49895 kg) vehicle, is able to lift and tow a 96,000-pound (43545 kg) vehicle, is equipped with rear-mounted winches with a 78,000 pound (35380 kg) combined straight-pull rating, and a front-mounted self-recovery winch with a 20,000-pound (9072 kg) straight-pull rating. [7] The MKR16 tractor truck variant is fitted with a 60,000 lb. (27216 kg) self-recovery winch to winch equipment onto a trailer. [8] All variants are fitted with Oshkosh's Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system. [2] Armor protection kit [ edit ] The add-on armor kit for LVSR was developed and supplied by Plasan of Israel. Plasan was awarded a contract in mid-2006 for 12 LVSR armor kits for testing. The November 2011-stated AAO for LVSR add-on armor B-kits quotes 651. [5] The armor system for LVSR follows the A-kit/B-kit principle, with vehicles designed 'fitted for, but not with', protection. In the case of LVSR, 'fitted for' includes an armored cab floor as standard. [4] Cargo and wrecker variants require an upgrade of the front springs. Protection kits can be installed and uninstalled from vehicles in the field using only basic tools. The A-kit is fitted on the production line and is the combination of a limited amount of armoring (in difficult-to-access areas of the vehicle), together with a significant amount of armour installation attachments and required support structures. The bulk of the armor, the B-kit, is installed in the field on an 'as required' basis. [5] The benefits of the A-kit/B-kit principle are that armor is only fitted when required, this reducing vehicle wear and tear, and by default whole life cycle costs. Improvements and/or upgrades to armor are also far easier to integrate into an appliqué solution. The A-kit/B-kit principle is currently applied to all current production US tactical 'softskin' vehicles. [5] Gallery [ edit ] Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR) Oshkosh LVSR MKR18 cargo with unarmored (A-kit) cab. Oshkosh LVSR MKR16 tractor with unarmored (A-kit) cab. Oshkosh LVSR MKR15 wrecker with unarmored (A-kit) cab. MKR18 cargo variant of the LVSR (with B-kit armor fitted); the load is a mobile trauma center. Photographed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, a MKR18 cargo variant of the LVSR with B-kit armor fitted. Photographed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, this MK18 LVSR cargo variant is towing a M1076 PLST. Photographed in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, a MK16 LVSR tractor truck variant. MKR18 cargo variant of the LVSR (without B-kit armor fitted) LVSR has replaced the earlier LVS (shown) in service with the U.S. Marines. Variants [ edit ] MKR18 – cargo (1459) [5] MKR15 – wrecker (160) [5] MKR16 – tractor truck (381) [5] Operators [ edit ] See also [ edit ] References [ edit ] ^ a b c d e "USMC PEO Land Systems Programs 2011-2012". DefenseMediaNetwork . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ a b c d e f g h i "Oshkosh's LVSR Truck Family". Defense Industry Daily . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ "LVSR". Oshkosh Defense . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ a b c "Logistics Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR)". US Marine Corps Concepts & Programs . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Oshkosh Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR)". IHS Jane's Logistics, Support & Unmanned by Shaun C Connors & Christopher F Foss . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ "Oshkosh Defense® LVSR MKR18 Cargo Vehicle". Oshkosh Defense . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ "Oshkosh Defense® LVSR MKR15 Wrecker". Oshkosh Defense . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . ^ "Oshkosh Defense® LVSR MKR16 Tractor". Oshkosh Defense . Retrieved 2016-03-28 . External links [ edit ] 1. United States Marine Corps – The U. S. Marine Corps is one of the four armed service branches in the U. S. Department of Defense and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military officer in the U. S. Armed Forces, is a Marine Corps general, the Marine Corps has been a component of the U. S. Department of the Navy since 30 June 1834, working closely with naval forces for training, transportation, and logistics. The USMC operates posts on land and aboard sea-going amphibious warfare ships around the world, two battalions of Continental Marines were formed on 10 November 1775 in Philadelphia as a service branch of infantry troops capable of fighting for independence both at sea and on shore. The role of the Corps has since grown and evolved, expanding to aerial warfare and earning popular titles such as, Americas third air force, and, second land army. By the mid-20th century, the U. S. Marine Corps had become a major theorist of and its ability to rapidly respond on short notice to expeditionary crises gives it a strong role in the implementation and execution of American foreign policy. As of 2016, the USMC has around 182,000 active duty members and it is the smallest of the U. S. The USMC serves as an expeditionary force-in-readiness and this last clause, while seemingly redundant given the Presidents position as Commander-in-chief, is a codification of the expeditionary responsibilities of the Marine Corps. It derives from similar language in the Congressional acts For the Better Organization of the Marine Corps of 1834, in 1951, the House of Representatives Armed Services Committee called the clause one of the most important statutory – and traditional – functions of the Marine Corps. In addition to its duties, the Marine Corps conducts Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure operations, as well as missions in direct support of the White House. The Marine Band, dubbed the Presidents Own by Thomas Jefferson, Marines from Ceremonial Companies A & B, quartered in Marine Barracks, Washington, D. C. The Executive Flight Detachment also provides transport to Cabinet members. The relationship between the Department of State and the U. S. Marine Corps is nearly as old as the corps itself, for over 200 years, Marines have served at the request of various Secretaries of State. After World War II, an alert, disciplined force was needed to protect American embassies, consulates, in 1947, a proposal was made that the Department of War furnish Marine Corps personnel for Foreign Service guard duty under the provisions of the Foreign Service Act of 1946. A formal Memorandum of Agreement was signed between the Department of State and the Secretary of the Navy on December 15,1948, during the first year of the MSG program,36 detachments were deployed worldwide. Continental Marines manned raiding parties, both at sea and ashore, the Advanced Base Doctrine of the early 20th century codified their combat duties ashore, outlining the use of Marines in the seizure of bases and other duties on land to support naval campaigns. Throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries, Marine detachments served aboard Navy cruisers, battleships, Marine detachments served in their traditional duties as a ships landing force, manning the ships weapons and providing shipboard security. Marines would develop tactics and techniques of amphibious assault on defended coastlines in time for use in World War II, during World War II, Marines continued to serve on capital ships. 2. Oshkosh Corporation – Oshkosh Corporation, formerly Oshkosh Truck, is an American industrial company that designs and builds specialty trucks, military vehicles, truck bodies, airport fire apparatus and access equipment. The corporation also owns Pierce Manufacturing, a fire apparatus manufacturer, based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the company employs 12,000 people around the world. It is organized in four business groups, access equipment, defense, fire and emergency. Founded in 1917 as the Wisconsin Duplex Auto Company, the company was created to build a severe-duty four-wheel-drive truck, after the first prototype was built, the company began to develop rapidly. This first four-wheel-drive truck, known today as Old Betsy, is owned by Oshkosh Corporation. The vehicle still runs and is used frequently in demonstrations and parades, the first mass-produced truck was the 2-ton Model A, with seven produced in 1918. The 3. 5-ton Model B and 5-ton Model F followed, the Model TR, introduced in 1933, was a diversification for the company and was the first rubber tired earthmover ever built. The Model 50-50, introduced in 1955, was the first truck created specifically for the hauling of concrete, the first ARFF built by Oshkosh was a W Series truck delivered to the U. S. Coast Guard in 1953. Oshkosh has also produced aircraft tow tractors, and in 1968 the company designed, on August 25,2015, Oshkosh was awarded the U. S. militarys Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract. The initial JLTV award is valued at $6.75 billion for up to 16,901 vehicles, the procurement objective for JLTV stands at 54,599 vehicles, the estimated program cost being $47.6 billion. JLTV will partially replace the AM General Humvee, Oshkosh Corporation is headquartered in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. It has manufacturing operations in eight U. S. states and in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, France and Romania and through investments in joint ventures in Mexico, Oshkosh products and services are sold in more than 130 countries around the globe. The company also maintains a service network. Products include JLG and SkyTrak brand telehandlers, wheeled and tracked boom lifts, l-ATV was announced as winner of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle requirement in August 2015. The first JLTV order was placed in March 2016. The JLTV will part-replace the AM General HMMWV/Humvee, the FMTV is the U. S. Armys standard 2. 5- and 5-ton truck. The FMTV was originally manufactured by Stewart and Stevenson, then by Armor Holdings, from 2011 it has been manufactured by Oshkosh. The M1070, in A0 and A1 configurations, is the U. S. Armys current tank transporter tractor, the Global HET is essentially a M1070A1 with three axles instead of four. Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck - M977 HEMTT, the HEMTT is the U. S. Armys standard 10-ton truck. 3. Vehicle armour – Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets, missiles or shells, protecting the personnel inside from enemy fire. Such vehicles include armoured fighting vehicles like tanks, aircraft and ships, civilian vehicles may also be armoured. These vehicles include cars used by reporters, officials and others in conflict zones or where violent crime is common, armoured cars are also routinely used by security firms to carry money or valuables to reduce the risk of highway robbery or the hijacking of the cargo. Armour may also be used in vehicles to protect from other than a deliberate attack. Some spacecraft are equipped with specialised armour to protect them against impacts from micrometeoroids or fragments of space junk, the design and purpose of the vehicle determines the amount of armour plating carried, as the plating is often very heavy and excessive amounts of armour restrict mobility. In order to decrease this problem, some new materials and material compositions are being researched which include buckypaper, rolled homogeneous armour is strong, hard, and tough. Steel with these characteristics is produced by processing cast steel billets of appropriate size, rolling and forging irons out the grain structure in the steel, removing imperfections which would reduce the strength of the steel. Aluminium is used when weight is a necessity. It is most commonly used on APCs and armoured cars, wrought iron was used on ironclad warships. Early European iron armour consisted of 10 to 13 cm of wrought iron backed by up to one meter of solid wood, titanium is roughly the weight of aluminium, but as strong as iron. So despite being rather expensive, it finds an application in areas where weight is a concern, such as personal armour, because of its high density, depleted uranium can also be used in tank armour, sandwiched between sheets of steel armour plate. Plastic metal was a type of vehicle armour originally developed for merchant ships by the British Admiralty in 1940, the original composition was described as 50% clean granite of half-inch size, 43% of limestone mineral, and 7% of bitumen. It was typically applied in a two inches thick and backed by half an inch of steel. Plastic armour could be applied by pouring it into a cavity formed by the backing plate. Bulletproof glass is a term for glass that is particularly resistant to being penetrated when struck by bullets. The industry generally refers to it as bullet-resistant glass or transparent armour, bullet-resistant glass is usually constructed using a strong but transparent material such as polycarbonate thermoplastic or by using layers of laminated glass. The desired result is a material with the appearance and light-transmitting behaviour of standard glass, the polycarbonate layer, usually consisting of products such as Armormax, Makroclear, Cyrolon, Lexan or Tuffak, is often sandwiched between layers of regular glass. The use of plastic in the laminate provides impact-resistance, such as physical assault with a hammer, the plastic provides little in the way of bullet-resistance. 4. United States Army – The United States Armed Forces are the federal armed forces of the United States. They consist of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, from the time of its inception, the military played a decisive role in the history of the United States. A sense of unity and identity was forged as a result of victory in the First Barbary War. Even so, the Founders were suspicious of a permanent military force and it played an important role in the American Civil War, where leading generals on both sides were picked from members of the United States military. Not until the outbreak of World War II did a standing army become officially established. The National Security Act of 1947, adopted following World War II and during the Cold Wars onset, the U. S. military is one of the largest militaries in terms of number of personnel. It draws its personnel from a pool of paid volunteers. As of 2016, the United States spends about $580.3 billion annually to fund its military forces, put together, the United States constitutes roughly 40 percent of the worlds military expenditures. For the period 2010–14, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that the United States was the worlds largest exporter of major arms, the United States was also the worlds eighth largest importer of major weapons for the same period. The history of the U. S. military dates to 1775 and these forces demobilized in 1784 after the Treaty of Paris ended the War for Independence. All three services trace their origins to the founding of the Continental Army, the Continental Navy, the United States President is the U. S. militarys commander-in-chief. Rising tensions at various times with Britain and France and the ensuing Quasi-War and War of 1812 quickened the development of the U. S. Navy, the reserve branches formed a military strategic reserve during the Cold War, to be called into service in case of war. Time magazines Mark Thompson has suggested that with the War on Terror, Command over the armed forces is established in the United States Constitution. The sole power of command is vested in the President by Article II as Commander-in-Chief, the Constitution also allows for the creation of executive Departments headed principal officers whose opinion the President can require. This allowance in the Constitution formed the basis for creation of the Department of Defense in 1947 by the National Security Act, the Defense Department is headed by the Secretary of Defense, who is a civilian and member of the Cabinet. The Defense Secretary is second in the chain of command, just below the President. Together, the President and the Secretary of Defense comprise the National Command Authority, to coordinate military strategy with political affairs, the President has a National Security Council headed by the National Security Advisor. The collective body has only power to the President. 5. Caterpillar Inc. – Caterpillar is a leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives. With more than US$89 billion in assets, Caterpillar was ranked one in its industry. In 2016 Caterpillar was ranked #59 on the Fortune 500 list, Caterpillar stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Caterpillar Inc. traces its origins to the 1925 merger of the Holt Manufacturing Company, Best Tractor Company, creating a new entity, the California-based Caterpillar Tractor Company. In 1986, the company re-organized itself as a Delaware corporation under the current name, Caterpillars headquarters are located in Peoria, Illinois, it announced in January 2017 that over the course of that year it would relocate its headquarters to Chicago. The company also licenses and markets a line of clothing and workwear boots under its Cat / Caterpillar name, Caterpillar machinery is recognizable by its trademark Caterpillar Yellow livery and the CAT logo. Benjamin Holt attempted to fix the problem by increasing the size and width of the wheels up to 7.5 feet tall and 6 feet wide, but this also made the tractors increasingly complex, expensive and difficult to maintain. Another solution considered was to lay a temporary plank road ahead of the tractor, but this was time-consuming, expensive. Holt thought of wrapping the planks around the wheels and he replaced the wheels on a 40 horsepower Holt steamer, No. 77, with a set of wooden tracks bolted to chains, on Thanksgiving Day, November 24,1904, he successfully tested the updated machine plowing the soggy delta land of Roberts Island. Company photographer Charles Clements was reported to have observed that the tractor crawled like a caterpillar, some sources, though, attribute this name to British soldiers in July 1907. Two years later Holt sold his first steam-powered tractor crawlers for US$5,500, each side featured a track frame measured 30 inches high by 42 inches wide and were 9 feet long. The tracks were 3 inches by 4 inches redwood slats, Holt received the first patent for a practical continuous track for use with a tractor on December 7,1907 for his improved Traction Engine. On February 2,1910, Holt opened up a plant in East Peoria, Illinois, there Pliny met farm implement dealer Murray Baker who knew of an empty factory that had been recently built to manufacture farm implements and steam traction engines. On October 25,1909, Pliny Holt purchased the factory, Holt incorporated it as the Holt Caterpillar Company, although he did not trademark the name Caterpillar until August 2,1910. Tractors were built in both Stockton and East Peoria, on January 31,2017, after more than 90 years of being headquartered in Peoria, Illinois, the company announced plans to move their headquarters from Peoria to Chicago, Illinois by the end of 2017. The upper echelon of executives, including newly installed CEO Jim Umpleby, will begin relocating later this year, about 300 employees will work in the new office at an as-yet undecided location once the transition is complete. The changes contributed to $2.3 billion in savings in 2016, Umpleby said that decline is a fundamental reason the companys Board of Directors opted to move global headquarters to an area where the global marketplace is in easier reach. 6. Diesel fuel – Diesel engines have found broad use as a result of higher thermodynamic efficiency and thus fuel efficiency. This is particularly noted where diesel engines are run at part-load, as their air supply is not throttled as in a petrol engine, to distinguish these types, petroleum-derived diesel is increasingly called petrodiesel. Ultra-low-sulfur diesel is a standard for defining diesel fuel with substantially lowered sulfur contents, as of 2016, almost all of the petroleum-based diesel fuel available in UK, Europe and North America is of a ULSD type. In the UK, diesel fuel for use is commonly abbreviated DERV, standing for diesel-engined road vehicle. In Australia diesel fuel is known as distillate, and in Indonesia, it is known as Solar. Diesel fuel originated from experiments conducted by German scientist and inventor Rudolf Diesel for his engine he invented in 1892. Diesel fuel is produced from various sources, the most common being petroleum, other sources include biomass, animal fat, biogas, natural gas, and coal liquefaction. Petroleum diesel, also called petrodiesel, or fossil diesel is the most common type of diesel fuel, synthetic diesel can be produced from any carbonaceous material, including biomass, biogas, natural gas, coal and many others. The raw material is gasified into synthesis gas, which after purification is converted by the Fischer–Tropsch process to a synthetic diesel, the process is typically referred to as biomass-to-liquid, gas-to-liquid or coal-to-liquid, depending on the raw material used. Paraffinic synthetic diesel generally has a content of sulfur and very low aromatics content, reducing unregulated emissions of toxic hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides. Fatty-acid methyl ester, more known as biodiesel, is obtained from vegetable oil or animal fats which have been transesterified with methanol. It can be produced from many types of oils, the most common being rapeseed oil in Europe, methanol can also be replaced with ethanol for the transesterification process, which results in the production of ethyl esters. FAME can be used pure in engines where the manufacturer approves such use, FAME as a fuel is specified in DIN EN14214 and ASTM D6751. Pure biodiesel has an energy content about 5–10% lower than petroleum diesel, the loss in power when using pure biodiesel is 5–7%. As FAME contains low levels of sulfur, the emissions of oxides and sulfates. Use of biodiesel also results in reductions of unburned hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, CO emissions using biodiesel are substantially reduced, on the order of 50% compared to most petrodiesel fuels. The exhaust emissions of particulate matter from biodiesel have been found to be 30% lower than overall particulate matter emissions from petrodiesel, the exhaust emissions of total hydrocarbons are up to 93% lower for biodiesel than diesel fuel. Biodiesel also may reduce risks associated with petroleum diesel. 7. Torque – Torque, moment, or moment of force is rotational force. Just as a force is a push or a pull. Loosely speaking, torque is a measure of the force on an object such as a bolt or a flywheel. For example, pushing or pulling the handle of a wrench connected to a nut or bolt produces a torque that loosens or tightens the nut or bolt, the symbol for torque is typically τ, the lowercase Greek letter tau. When it is called moment of force, it is denoted by M. The SI unit for torque is the newton metre, for more on the units of torque, see Units. This article follows US physics terminology in its use of the word torque, in the UK and in US mechanical engineering, this is called moment of force, usually shortened to moment. In US physics and UK physics terminology these terms are interchangeable, unlike in US mechanical engineering, Torque is defined mathematically as the rate of change of angular momentum of an object. The definition of states that one or both of the angular velocity or the moment of inertia of an object are changing. Moment is the term used for the tendency of one or more applied forces to rotate an object about an axis. For example, a force applied to a shaft causing acceleration, such as a drill bit accelerating from rest. By contrast, a force on a beam produces a moment, but since the angular momentum of the beam is not changing. Similarly with any force couple on an object that has no change to its angular momentum and this article follows the US physics terminology by calling all moments by the term torque, whether or not they cause the angular momentum of an object to change. The concept of torque, also called moment or couple, originated with the studies of Archimedes on levers, the term torque was apparently introduced into English scientific literature by James Thomson, the brother of Lord Kelvin, in 1884. A force applied at an angle to a lever multiplied by its distance from the levers fulcrum is its torque. A force of three newtons applied two metres from the fulcrum, for example, exerts the same torque as a force of one newton applied six metres from the fulcrum. More generally, the torque on a particle can be defined as the product, τ = r × F, where r is the particles position vector relative to the fulcrum. Alternatively, τ = r F ⊥, where F⊥ is the amount of force directed perpendicularly to the position of the particle, any force directed parallel to the particles position vector does not produce a torque. 8. Allison Transmission – Allison Transmission is an American manufacturer of commercial duty automatic transmissions and hybrid propulsion systems. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, Allison Transmission has regional offices all over the world and manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis, Indiana, Chennai, India, Allison began in 1909 when James A. Allison, along with three business partners, helped found and build the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1911, Allison’s new track held the first Indianapolis 500 mile race, in addition to funding several race teams, Jim Allison established his own racing team in 1915 and quickly gained a reputation for his work on race cars and automotive technology in general. After the war, Allison entered a car in the 1919 Indy 500 and it was the last race Allison’s team ever entered as he turned his company’s attention to aviation engineering. The company’s expertise in aviation was the factor in General Motors decision to buy the company following Jim Allison’s death in 1928. Shortly after the sale to General Motors in 1929, Allison engineers began work on a 12-cylinder engine to replace the aging Liberty engines. The result was the V1710 12-cylinder aircraft engine and it made the company, now known as the Allison Engine Company, a major force in aviation. Toward the end of World War II, General Motors formed Allison Transmission to put the engineers’ expertise to work in a new field — power transmissions for tracked military vehicles, the new division developed a transmission combining range change, steering and braking. After WWII, Allison Transmission turned its attention to civilian transportation, Allison designed, developed and manufactured the first-ever automatic transmissions for heavy-duty vehicles including delivery trucks, city buses, and locomotives. S. Army main battle tank is unveiled in Washington, D. C.6 billion, the transaction closed on August 7,2007. October 27,2013 Allison 10-speed TC10 transmission available for order at Navistar Current revenues were at $1.985 Billion a decrease from 2014, through 2011, it intends to introduce 16 hybrid models. In 2008, the number of GM-Allison hybrid buses are more than 2,700 units in 81 cities in the U. S, canada and Europe.4 million US gallons of fuel annually in Washington D. C.