Author: Lan, don’t growl
16 June 2022 13:36
Tags: MAZ trucks truckers reliability rust equipment tractors trucks
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Is six years a long time or a short one for a new MAZ? We met with the driver Alexander, who drives a 2011 MAZ-5440E9 with a Euro-5 engine. The car has already driven 460,000 km - what faults have been identified?
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— In 2011, our company needed a new tractor. At first we thought of buying a new DAF in Europe, but with customs clearance it would have cost 90,000 euros. We bought this MAZ for 50,000, almost half the price. Naturally, having saved, something had to be sacrificed.
Go!
Secrecy, training, continuous work, search for design solutions - not just words. This is the essence of the work of one of the largest plants in the post-Soviet space. Over its history, MAZ has gone through many tests and undergone a number of changes.
MAZ from a bird's eye view
On August 9, 1944, by decree of the State Defense Committee, it was decided to create an automobile assembly plant in Minsk. Despite the difficult times, MAZ managed to produce its first-born by 1947: five MAZ-205 cars. A year later, mass production was organized. By 1951, the number of cars produced reached 25 thousand copies! Since that distant time, which has already become history for us, MAZ has not stopped working for a minute. Constant modernization, the release of new improved models, many awards and prizes do not make one doubt that the plant is still one of the leaders in this area, providing many CIS countries with trucks. Today MAZ has 110 workshops and 18 thousand employees.
MAZ on the assembly line
Up to 100 trucks a day leave the car assembly plant line—that’s about 7 trucks per hour. Impressive? What if we say that most cars are not mass produced, each one is a kind of unique creation, created taking into account the individual requirements of the client. That is approximately 35,000 trucks per year, and not one is alike!
Engine MAZ-5440M9
Under the cabin of the flagship MAZ fifth-wheeler there is a Mercedes-Benz OM471 engine with a power of 475 hp. Daimler calls this engine very simply - “the best diesel engine in the world.” Well, Mercedes diesel engines on our trucks are not an innovation. Motors from this manufacturer have been installed on some new KamAZ trucks for a long time. Now the Minsk Automobile Plant has begun to do the same.
The same engine was used in the fourth generation Mercedes Actros. and has proven itself to be very good, as a reliable and resourceful power unit. Structurally, the Mercedes-Benz OM-471 is a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with a displacement of 12.8 liters. There is an electronic limiter that cuts off the diesel fuel supply at speeds over 90 kilometers per hour. This device is inherent in all European truck tractors.
Diesel OM-471 allows you to adjust torque and power in a flexible range, depending on the modification and customer needs. In the case of the MA3-5440M9, the power of this power unit is 475 horsepower (350 kW) at 1800 rpm, maximum torque 2300 N.m (already at 1.1 thousand rpm). But if necessary, the engine can easily be boosted to 530 horsepower. Such flexible settings are possible thanks to the presence of composite camshafts and the X-Pulse electronic battery injection system.
An asymmetrical turbocharger is used as an air blower. The technologies used are exhaust gas recirculation, intercooling of charge air, combined lubrication and liquid cooling.
The X-Pulse system is an analogue of Common Rail with electronic control that regulates the injection of diesel fuel. Fuel is supplied at a pressure of 1160 Bar. The maximum value is 2.7 thousand. The injector nozzles on this engine have eight holes. Engineers also changed the geometry of the cylinder piston. This made it possible to increase the compression ratio to 18.3. The rate of exhaust gas recirculation has also increased.
The engine meets the requirements of the Euro 6 environmental standard thanks to the operation of an entire “air purification station” BlueEfficiency, which combines SCR technology using an AdBlue solution, EGR exhaust gas recirculation technology and a particulate filter. The particulate filter works together with urea. The engine is equipped with a particulate filter with active exhaust gas regeneration.
The use of an advanced electronic injection system not only increases power, but also reduces overall diesel fuel consumption. For 100 kilometers of travel, the MAZ-5440M9 truck tractor consumes, “according to its passport,” 26.7 liters of diesel fuel.
The truck easily overcomes steep climbs when fully loaded with 20-25 tons “on board”. The MAZ-5440M9 tractor is equipped with engine braking. This allows you to reduce the load on the pads in emergency situations. The motor is distinguished by serious traction and a solid reserve of power, which allows you to easily transport loads weighing up to 20-25 tons.
A special feature of the modification is a new exhaust system. The only muffler in it is combined with a neutralizer, as well as a DPF particulate filter. All this equipment is mounted in one unit on the right behind the cabin. The new engine required a major rearrangement of the spaces in the engine compartment and behind the false radiator grille. But ultimately, access to service points has improved. There are now an unusually large number of wires in the space behind the false radiator grille. An interesting nuance - the false grille of the MAZ-5440M9 cabin rises together with the side deflectors, first used on cars of the Minsk Automobile Plant.
Other technical characteristics in numbers
- The technically permissible gross vehicle weight is 18.8 tons.
- The technically permissible total weight of the road train is 44 tons.
- The load on the rear axle is 11.5 tons.
- Load on the front axle – 7.4 tons.
- The permissible load on the fifth wheel coupling is 10.2 tons.
- The height of the fifth wheel coupling system is 1.15 m.
On the brakes
The next stage is laying the brake system lines and main wiring. This is another test in the debate between man and machine. Painstaking work, because a lot of wires need to be assembled in a limited space. The tractor is equipped with disc brakes, which have improved cooling and higher braking efficiency. And this is a plus one for safety.
Assembling a tractor is like embroidering with beads. Also painstakingly
While one group of specialists is working on assembling the chassis, another is creating an equally important component of the car - the cabin.
Cabin MAZ-5440M9
The completely redesigned exterior of the cabin is immediately noticeable. This is not a restyling, but truly a completely new design, in which only the windshield is the same as its predecessor, the MAZ-5440V9. The new appearance is due, to a large extent, to the new aggregate base. The front of the cabin is tied to the large radiator width of the new engine.
The emblems (the plant's letter logo and a stylized image of a bison) are spaced at a greater distance than other MAZ trucks. Because modern long-haul tractors in Europe must have a radar that determines the distance to the vehicle in front. And the MAZ-5440M9 has it. The operation of this device is affected by metallized elements, which is why the emblems are spaced apart.
When developing the design of the new cabin, MAZ specialists managed to refrain from copying the exterior of models from other manufacturers and, at the same time, create an original image that at the same time retained subtle “branded” MAZ features. Moreover, without exception, all the stamped elements that make up the cabin are completely new. Under the emblem there is a very convenient non-slip step for wiping the windshield. You can safely take side steps on it without fear of slipping.
Getting into the cabin is comfortable - there are handrails and footrests (on the second one you can store a change of shoes, since the door completely covers them). The seats are located high. The MAZ cabin in the basic version is equipped with air-suspended seats, seat belts, and two berths. Rearview mirrors and power windows in the base are electrically driven.
For driver convenience, there is an air conditioner, a refrigerator and an independent air heater. The instrument panel is completely electronic. For the first time in the history of the Minsk Automobile Plant, you can start the car using a button.
The interior design of the MAZ-5440M9 cabin is very similar to the Mercedes Actros - there is the same rounding of the panel, instrument panel and console design. The plastic here is clearly inexpensive, but quite high quality. The armrests have become noticeably more comfortable than those of the MAZ-5440V9.
The instrument panel has become multimedia. It is made for MAZ by a Polish company, but all the software is written by MAZ programmers. The backlight is very beautiful. Just like the keys, which have become noticeably more ergonomic. Also, the number of storage shelves in the cabin has been increased, and there are convenient cup holders/bottle holders.
