Scania R620 - Scandinavian monumental style
Almost 4 meters, not even in height, but up, 6 driving wheels, 620 horsepower, 160 tons of total weight... Today we are testing a unique Scania R620CA6x6EHZ tractor. According to its creators, this is the pinnacle in this market segment.
An all-wheel drive fifth wheel for super-heavy road trains is the Swedish manufacturer’s response to the requirements of a very specific market niche, in which similar equipment is often built by third-party companies, using only a more or less suitable factory base chassis as a basis.
Having studied the requirements for such special vehicles, Scania realized that an important drawback of special equipment built according to the above principle is weak support from both the chassis supplier and the equipment customizer. They say, we made the car for you, as you asked, and handle the operation as you know... A long-standing tradition or, one might say, the principle of the automaker from Södertälje helped here - all Scania components and assemblies are only of its own production: engines, axles, gearboxes and other components transmissions, brake mechanisms. In a word, having studied the requirements of this kind of customers, we took and assembled a unique factory truck. Now let's move on to studying that very interesting set of solutions.
In most modern long-haul tractors, the only component that requires regular lubrication is the fifth wheel coupling, and this machine has quite a lot of grease nipples - a function of extremely difficult operating conditions. Saddle height – 1600 mm!
Specification
From the given designation R620CA6x6EHZ it is immediately clear that this is a powerful (620 “horses”) car with all-wheel drive and three drive axles. Its purpose is heavy and oversized transportation. More precisely, the potential of a unique vehicle can be understood by referring to the decoding of the model index. The first letter indicates the cabin type - “P, G, R”. Interesting facts are already starting to emerge here. Initially, the designers tried to install the highest cabin. However, in order to accommodate the giant V8 engine (by the way, various power settings are possible, up to 730 hp), the mounting elements of the cabin itself had to be redesigned, raising it above the engine, and, it goes without saying, that the all-wheel drive chassis has significant ground clearance.
As a result, the total height of the vehicle went far beyond the standard 4 meters, so the height of the cabin had to be sacrificed. The next three digits of the model index are the rounded engine power in horsepower. Everything is clear here. The next letter encodes the chassis class: L - mainline, C - construction equipment. Then comes the designation of the wheel formula, then the letter of the design operating conditions of the equipment: M - normal, N - heavy, E - especially heavy. Next comes the chassis height marking. From top to bottom, sequentially: H, N, L, E.
The additional front hitch is equipped with its own compressed air supply channel, which is closed with a separate valve.
The marking is completed by the suspension design index: A – front spring, rear pneumatic; B – all axles are on pneumatics; Z – all axles are spring. Now, before I climb the Potemkin ladder into the cabin and set off, I’ll try once again to understand what kind of tractor I have to drive. Scania R620CA6x6EHZ is a three-axle four-wheel drive tractor with a high CG19N cab, 620 horsepower, designed for the construction industry (or non-highway use) in particularly difficult conditions, with the highest chassis and leaf spring suspension on all axles.
All components and assemblies of Scania are only of our own production.
Aggregate architecture
Such a solid potential is located on the frame in a rather traditional way. The longitudinally mounted V-shaped eight-cylinder engine, with a displacement of 16 liters and having several power settings, is coupled with the Opticruise GRSO925R automated gearbox, which is connected via a cardan transmission to the transfer case, which in turn distributes torque to the front axles to the front and rear axles. The rear axles are straight, the gear ratio is 4.27, which emphasizes the non-high-speed purpose of the tractor.
To move a tractor without a semi-trailer, the gearbox is equipped with an accelerating top gear. The temperature regime of the gearbox is carefully protected by a liquid heat exchanger, and a powerful electric fan has settled in the immediate vicinity of the transfer case. As already mentioned, all suspensions are leaf springs; the driver’s cabin is also secured without the use of pneumatics using shock absorber struts. The brakes on all wheels are drum-type, but the braking system is equipped with ABS, and among other optional on-board electronics, they haven’t forgotten about the ESP stabilization system.
The workplace has not undergone significant changes
Interior
When you find yourself in the workplace of such special equipment, you subconsciously expect some special features in the controls, but this time I didn’t find anything like that. There is not even a single floor lever in this cabin, and this is on a three-axle truck with all-wheel drive, inter-axle and inter-wheel locks and 14 stages in the gearbox. About three years ago, in the vicinity of Barcelona, I was lucky enough to test a car similar to today’s in ideology, but with a less powerful engine and it was not a tractor-trailer, but had a removable body of the “Swab-body” type. A feeling of complete analogy.
The vertical windshield gives a pleasant feeling of spaciousness, and the rather thin A-pillars provide good visibility. The dashboard is also very familiar, and has even become a little outdated today. On the panel on the driver’s right hand there is an “arsenal” for activating the powerful transmission: a modest “twist”, where locking methods are grouped, which activates them in a certain sequence - from backwards to forward. The locking process is displayed on the central display of the instrument cluster in the form of icons indicating the current state of each axis.
The control knob for the all-wheel drive transmission and locks, and the current status icon on the on-board computer display
Eh, bludgeon...
I get comfortable without any difficulty, the pneumatic lock of the steering column locks it with a characteristic “zilch”, I turn on the “Drive” mode with the steering column lever, start, and the compacted snow “under my feet” after a few meters is replaced by just snow porridge and ruts, then a little salty asphalt, and at the neighboring construction site there is an open skating rink, only not filled specifically for the joy of the children, but, so to speak, natural, formed as a result of the alternation of thaws and frosts this winter. What's the difference! This is exactly the feeling you get behind the wheel of a “Bench” with the tricky index R620CA6x6EHZ, which can sometimes tell so much about the “filling”, which is no less peculiar.
The engine belongs to the very modest fourth environmental class, which is acceptable for special equipment. Compliance with environmental standards is ensured by the use of SCR technology; the fuel injection system - PDE (pump injector) is more tolerant of fuel quality than Common Rail
Playing with the differential lock handle didn't really change the car's behavior, except that the turning radius increased. Indeed, you won’t immediately find an area where you will really need locks for this machine in the near Moscow region. In addition, the machine is a client machine, and breaking it for the sake of experimentation and fun is generally not acceptable. But believe me, even this short walk, not without delight, allowed me to watch how a heavy colossus moves slowly, but very confidently in difficult conditions, grouped by the muscles of its drive axles, the veins of multi-leaf springs under the even pulse of a powerful heart.
Another involuntary thought that haunted me was why “automatic”. For a moment I imagined a version with alternative "mechanics". Working with a conventional clutch on such heavy equipment requires a lot of precision, but even this will not protect you from mistakes. Therefore, an automatic transmission is quite appropriate here, although it does not save fuel. But the continuous flow of power will not fail the starting procedure on a hill, and the transmission is more protected from destructive shocks and shock loads. The “foolproof” system is complemented by electronic control of differential locks, which eliminates incorrect operations. True, this car uses an “Opticruise” automated gearbox, but on heavy equipment the use of a hydromechanical transmission is also justified; for example, Scania is rare, but I have seen an Alisson unit. Well, this will apparently be the topic of the next discussion with specialists from Sweden...
Niche product in good hands
The impressions from this test are enthusiastic, but competitors are not asleep either. According to tradition, you need to do a little comparison of similar products from other brands. The only thing that comes to mind is the heavy Mercedes-Benz SLT series. They are also based on the serial Arox and Aktros, but modified at a subsidiary. There are many more changes in relation to the basic chassis, which complicates their maintenance. But on the other hand, there the total weight of a road train can reach up to 250 tons. MAN also has similar equipment, and even works successfully in the group that ordered today’s Scania R620CA6x6EHZ.
The customer specializes in oversized and special transportation. One of the recent “high-profile cases” of this carrier was the transportation of the legendary “Buran” from the Moscow Park of Culture to VDNKh (about 20 kilometers of the route around Moscow took almost 8 hours). In general, the company has 7 tractors from various European manufacturers in its fleet. But recently preference has been given to Scania cars. As General Director Vyacheslav Vladimirovich Popov said, “This is a reliable machine, designed to work in both heat and cold. Never let me down! For example, when transporting drilling rigs in Yakutia, the weather conditions were absolutely extreme and the task was not easy. Scania showed what it is capable of!” The opinion of a practitioner is certainly authoritative and worthy of respect. This means that the project to build the monumental Scania R620CA6x6EHZ tractor was a success.
Daniil Minaev, photo by the author
Technical characteristics of the Scania R620CA6x6EHZ tractor
Dump trucks, tractors 6x6 Scania YAKUTIA KHABAROVSK MAGADAN BLAGOVESHCHENSK
Reviews of Scania - test of the Scania P 420 6x4 EHZ dump truck
| In our country, Scania tractors need no introduction. But what do you say when you hear this: “a new P-series universal dump truck from the famous Swedish automaker has appeared in our city”? I am sure that if you are a connoisseur of high-quality imported equipment, you will be pleasantly surprised! In any case, I have seen few such dumping road trains. |
| The mere sight of the Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ tipper combination makes you feel uneasy. You can't help but feel overwhelmed by the impressive power of this dump truck, its superb design and the greatness hidden beneath the surface. Just look at the exterior of the SCANIA road train: the stylish cabin with a signature radiator grille is decorated with headlight protection and a reinforced bumper. Among other things, the truck’s bright, rich color makes it unique. |
| In addition, the cabin of the Scania P 420 dump truck has an excellent interior: enviable ergonomics and the quality of finishing materials make themselves felt in the most positive way. This is not just like that. This is a significant factor determining the quality of Scania truck products. If I were a long-distance truck driver, I would emphasize that Scania provides a high level of comfort in almost all operating conditions. |
| Like in your favorite chair. This is roughly how one can characterize the first sensations experienced when visiting the cabin of a road train. They are comfortable, moderately rigid, and have an excellent shape. I bet that during a multi-hour drive on a Scania dump truck you will not feel a hint of back pain, let alone pain itself. The Scania tipper road train is an elite in some ways. And words like “pain”, “fatigue” and “stress” may only concern the engineers of the truck world, but not you. However, you will understand this yourself as soon as you open the door of the Scania dump truck cab. |
| The Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ dump truck has a short double cab CP16 with a hoodless layout. Despite this, a folding berth is installed behind the seats. But in this case it would be more correct to say: a place to rest on the driver’s side. Its dimensions are not so large, but quite sufficient for a short-term driver's rest. |
| By the way, from the folding “sofa” it is relatively convenient to use the control panel for a number of dump truck functions. It is located on the rear wall of the cabin and is shaped like an old-style mobile phone. Using the keys on the remote control, you can turn on the cabin heating, set the alarm clock and perform some other operations. But what is really missing in the cabin of the Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ dump truck is electric door glass drives. Mechanical drives sometimes require effort. Therefore, when buying a Scania dump truck, do not spare money for a small benefit of civilization - such a necessary option as electric window drives. |
| However, on the other hand, this tiny drawback has little chance of being noticed against the backdrop of the huge number of advantages of the Scania road train. For example, take the driver’s seat in a dump truck: the handrails are located inside the cab, which means they won’t get dirty from dirt, the adjustable steering wheel fits perfectly in your hands, and the seat is equipped with air suspension. Let's go further: absolutely all the keys and switches are at hand. In addition, after a while you will forget what it means to focus your attention on finding the right button. The dashboard of the Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ dump truck is informative and at the same time simple. The speedometer is marked up to 140 kilometers per hour, although the truck's speed is electronically limited to 89 km/h. |
| Whatever the cabin of your Scania dump truck - large or small, there will always be a sufficient number of glove compartments. And the P 420 CB6x4EHZ tipper road train is no exception: there are luggage compartments even above the windshield! Well, if you suddenly want to drink tea or charge your mobile phone, there are two universal sockets at your service. One is 24V, the other is 12. Speaking of electricity. Or rather, electrical equipment. Scania has two 175 Ah 24V batteries and a 100A generator. |
The cabin configuration of the Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ tipper road train includes: a manually operated sunroof, an improved instrument panel, an electronic climate control system, an air-suspended driver's seat with weight-adjustable shock absorber and heating, a folding passenger seat, an adjustable steering wheel with hydraulic booster, one-day tachograph, electrically heated rear-view mirrors, preparation for installing a radio radio and flashing light, as well as a 12V connector in the panel.
As additional equipment, liquid heating of the engine and cabin, air conditioning, panoramic mirrors on both sides and electric drives of the latter were installed on the car. The 6-cylinder engine of the Scania P 420 dump truck, referred to as Scania DC12 14 420 Euro 3, has a displacement of 12 liters and a power of 420 horsepower at 1900 rpm. The maximum torque of this engine is 2100 Nm at 1100-1300 rpm. Interestingly, equipment that has passed Russian certification is equipped with an air intake system designed for harsh winter conditions guaranteed by our climate.
Brake system. I must say that the car accelerates very well. At least when you're driving empty. But in this case, Scania should have excellent brakes. The way it is. Safety connoisseurs, rejoice: the dual-circuit, fully pneumatic braking system is ready to boast both ABS (anti-lock braking system) and traction control system!
The Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ gearbox is 14-speed. As you can see, there is no need to even doubt its significance for a dump truck. However, I note that for equipment aimed primarily at transporting agricultural and construction inert cargo, it is simply ideal. The main gear of the tested Scania is with planetary wheel reduction gears, with inter-axle and cross-axle differential locks.
Coal carrier body - load capacity 46 tons
The Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ tipper train provided for testing is designed for transporting coal. It has an 18-cubic-meter HYVA body made in Poland and a three-axle IPV trailer with a capacity of 20 cubic meters. marked “Made in Russia”. The total carrying capacity of the dump truck train is 46 tons: 23 for the chassis and trailer.
What can we say in conclusion? Perhaps this is just to once again confirm the uniqueness of the Scania P 420 CB6x4EHZ tipper road train. In a way, it's a tool. A tool to move your business up the ladder. A tool that can hardly be replaced.
Magazine "Special equipment of Eastern Siberia"
