Developing quiet trucks: Complying with tomorrow's noise limits with Spacecoat®

There is a growing demand for quiet trucks. This is because road traffic noise pollutes the environment. Heavy commercial vehicles, in particular, contribute to noise pollution in cities and on motorways.

Regulations are also becoming increasingly stringent, which further increases the demand for effective solutions.

At the same time, this opens up clear advantages for manufacturers. Those who invest in innovative technologies at an early stage secure competitive advantages in a regulated market. Quieter drives are in demand in many areas, from urban logistics to long-distance transport and municipal fleets.

With Spacecoat®, the Miba Group presents a technology that addresses precisely this issue.

Why quiet trucks are indispensable today

Road noise is one of the biggest environmental pollutants and has a direct impact on quality of life and health. Heavy commercial vehicles cause particular problems for residents, drivers and infrastructure in urban areas.

 

Added to this is regulatory pressure:

  • Current EU regulations set clear limits. For trucks with an output of over 150 kW, the maximum sound pressure level when passing is currently 80 dB(A), measured according to standardized procedures such as the SPB method (DIN ISO EN 11819-1).
  • By 2026, there will be a gradual reduction of up to 3 dB(A). This corresponds to a halving of the sound power.

 

Quiet trucks are therefore a key objective in vehicle development. This poses an enormous challenge for manufacturers, which is almost impossible to overcome without innovative approaches.

What determines the passing noise of trucks?

The noise caused by a truck passing by is the result of several factors:

  • Engine type and drive technology
  • Driving speed
  • Tire-road interaction
  • Transmission noise in the drive train

 

At speeds of up to 60 km/h or under partial load, drive noise dominates. Gears in the drive train and auxiliary drives generate vibrations that significantly influence the passing noise.

 

This raises the question: How can you reduce truck noise?

Technologies such as Spacecoat® make a decisive contribution to the development of quiet trucks.

Spacecoat®: the game changer for quiet trucks

With Spacecoat®, the Miba Group offers a technology that specifically contributes to noise reduction in the powertrain. The special coating is applied directly to gear wheels in transmissions, where it provides noticeable damping of the vibrations generated.

The effect is impressive:

  • Up to 5 dB(A) less noise in the powertrain
  • Effective reduction of drive noise
  • Improved acoustics throughout the vehicle
  • Series-proven technology, used millions of times over
  • Reliable compliance with current and future limits

 

Spacecoat® already exceeds the requirements of upcoming regulations, enabling manufacturers to switch their fleets to quiet trucks at an early stage.

Practical example: Global deployment at a leading truck manufacturer

Spacecoat®'s effectiveness has also been proven in practice. One of the world's largest manufacturers of commercial vehicles has already integrated the technology into its global production. This is clear evidence of its technical efficiency, cost-effectiveness and scalability.

For vehicle developers, this means that the solution is not only effective in theory, but has also proven itself in practice. This is an important step toward quiet trucks on an international scale.

Sustainable mobility for the future: Spacecoat® makes quiet truck possible

Reducing pass-by noise is one of the major challenges facing the commercial vehicle industry in the future.

 

With Spacecoat®, the Miba Group offers a proven technology that

  • Drive noise effectively reduced, 
  • ahead of legal requirements for quiet trucks and
  • proven in series production worldwide.

 

This paves the way for quieter, more efficient and more sustainable commercial vehicles.

 

Learn more about Spacecoat®:

 

 

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