Volvo FH

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The Volvo FH is a heavy truck range

produced by Swedish truck
manufacturer Volvo Trucks. Introduced
in late 1993 as FH12 and FH16,
production still continues with the now
the second generation of FH range
model lineup. FH stands for Forward
control High entry, where numbers
denominate engine capacity in litres.
The FH range is one of the most
successful truck series ever having sold
more than 400,000 units worldwide.[1]

Volvo FH series

Overview

Manufacturer Volvo Trucks

Volvo FH Bitren
Also called
(Argentina)

Production 1993–present

Gothenburg, Sweden
Ghent, Belgium
Wacol, Queensland,
Australia
Durban, South Africa
Assembly Kaluga, Russia
Bangalore, India
Curitiba, Brazil
Tehran, Iran
Cairo, Egypt (Ghabbour
Group)

Body and chassis

Class Heavy truck

COE

Day cab
Body style Sleeper cab
Globetrotter High
cab

Ford F-MAX/JMC
Related
Weilong HV5

Powertrain

Inline 6 turbodiesel
intercooled

Volvo
D12A(12.1 L)
420 309kW
1993–1998
D12C(12.1 L)
420 309kW,
460 340kW
1998–2001
D12D(12.1 L)
420 309kW,
460 340kW
2001–2005
D12F(12,1 L)
420 309kW,
460 340kW
2004–2006
Engine EGR
D13A,B,C(12.7
L) 2005–
present
D13K(12.9 L)
2012-present
(Euro VI)
D16A,B(16.1 L)
1993–2001
D16C,E,G(16.1
L) 2006–
present
D16K(16.1 L)
2015–present
(Euro VI)
Cummins
ISX600(14.91
L) 1998–2006
(Australia)

14 speed synchro
manual
SR1900
(1993–1998)
SR(O)2400
(1993–1998)
VT2514(OD)
(1998–
present)
VT2814(OD)
(2006–
present)
VT(O)2214B
(2012-
present)
VT(O)2514B
(2012-
present)
VT(O)2814B
(2012-
present)
16 speed synchro
manual (ZF)
ZT1816
12 speed semi-
automatic (I-Shift)
V2512AT
Transmission
(2007–
present)
V(O)2812AT
(2007–
present)
VO3112AT
(2008–
present)
AT2412D
(2012-
present)
AT(O)2612D
(2012-
present)
AT2812D
(2012-
present)
ATO3112D
(2012-
present)
ATO3512D
(2012-
present)
6 speed automatic
(Powertronic)
VT1706PT
VT1906PT

Chronology

Predecessor Volvo F series

In September, 2012, Volvo Trucks re-

launched the Volvo FH with significant
technology upgrades.[2]

History

In late 1993 Volvo had unveiled its

replacement for the legendary F
cabover series in production for almost
15 years.[3] The development of FH in
what it appeared to be a clean sheet of
paper design took seven long years.
The development of the all-new design
12 litre engine with its overhead
camshaft and electronic unit injectors
technology placed Volvo among the
world's leading engine designers.

First Generation (1993–

1998)

A first generation FH16 prime mover

There were two models, FH12 and FH16

which shared common cabs and
chassis and the FH12 immediately won
"Truck of the year" award in 1994. The
16 litre engine, gearboxes and the
driveline were carried over from
previous generation albeit with many
improvements and the host of
additional features including all new
Volvo engine management and its
diagnostics for the D12A engine.

Design and Technology

Cab

The cab produced at Umeå from hot dip

galvanized, high tensile steel allowed
for greater strength at thinner panels
and box sections while reducing overall
weight. The new FH cab was a logical
progression from, for its days spacious
but boxy F series cab to more
aerodynamically efficient, with much
improved ergonomics and much better
seating unit while reducing overall
weight of the cab by almost 30%.[4] The
cabin was extensively tested in a wind
tunnel to confirm shape aerodynamics
properties to reduce air-drag thus
improving fuel efficiency. The cab
featured more sharply raked
windscreen while wedge shaped sides
rounded into front panel at much wider
radius corners and the rear vision
mirrors were also streamlined. The
cabin was subject to the toughest cab
impact test where procedure involved
placing a 15 tonne static weight on the
roof and one tonne pendulum striking at
the cab rear wall and at the windscreen
pillars, at the end of which the cab
doors must be able to be opened.[5] In
1995 Volvo FH series became first
heavy duty truck to be fitted with a SRS
airbag to further improve passive
safety.[6]

D12 engine

From the design angle the new D12A

engine was one of the largest engine
projects from Volvo Trucks since the
1950s at the time. The basic design was
still based on direct injection in-line six
diesel engine around 12 litres
displacement but with entirely different
fuel and valve systems when compared
with previous Volvo engines. Built at the
purpose-built facility at Skövde on a
fully automated line where the bulk of
the engine assembly is done by robots
and the final engine dressing is carried
out manually. The D12A was designed
as a "world engine" to be able to meet
the latest demands in high power
output, low fuel consumption and lower
emissions with its single OHC (overhead
camshaft) design, four valves per
cylinder and one centrally located
electronic unit injector, integrated
engine compression brake and two-
piece, steel and aluminium pistons. The
engine design left the door open for
future upgrades in both power output
and emission technologies.

VEB

VEB The Volvo Engine Brake is a

compression type engine brake first
introduced on D12A and since used on
later designed OHC engines from 9 to
16 litre displacement. The brake
operates on a principle where exhaust
valve cam followers acts on secondary
cam profile when engine brake is
activated. Engine oil pressure is used to
eliminate extra valve clearance thus this
action forces the follower against
secondary lobes and unseating exhaust
valves temporarily to achieve so-called
compression bleeding as employed by
similar systems from Jacobs, Cummins
and Mack however Volvo system has an
extra cam lobe thus giving two openings
of the exhaust valves and is designed to
work in conjunction with an exhaust
brake so two of the engine's four
strokes are used to raise engine braking
effect - Exhaust and Compression
strokes.

A view of VEB rocker arms

Operation Description
The exhaust stroke is used
when exhaust brake shutter
closes exhaust manifold after
turbocharger opening as a
result exhaust back pressure
is raised creating braking
effect.
The compression stroke is
used next to utilise the back
pressure in exhaust where at
the piston's Bottom Dead
Centre the exhaust valve are
opened briefly and high
pressure in exhaust manifold
is than let in acting against the
piston moving upwards on its
compression stroke thus
slowing it even more [further
explanation needed, exhaust
braking functions in relation to
cylinder pressure, not piston
speed] and increasing the
engine braking effect.
At the end of the compression
stroke just before piston's Top
Dead Centre exhaust valves
are open briefly again to
release "bleed" compression
thus again slowing the piston
on its subsequent downwards
movement and consequently
achieving engine braking
effect while also storing the
pressure in the exhaust
manifold again using the
exhaust brake shutter ready
for the next repeat of the
cycle.

Version 98 (1998–2002)

FH12

In conjunction with introduction of FM

series in 1998,[7] Volvo had facelifted
existing FH series with minor
modifications to the cab but major
upgrade to the electrical system, engine
and gearbox. The so-called TEA (Truck
Electronic Architecture) introduced a
technical solution to possibility of
various electronic control units to work
and communicate with one another. The
systems have been linked using two
data buses or data links which allowed
control units to exchange relevant
information over the data network.

Electronics

TEA is a computerized control and

monitoring system which is used to
control and coordinate the various
functions of the vehicle main
components. The control units
communicate over what is known as
CAN at two speeds SAEJ1587/1708
@9600 bit/s and SAEJ1939 @ 250 000
bit/s where up to eight Electronic
Control Units were used to control
various functions. J1939 data link is
used for mission critical rapid
communication among ECUs and
J1587/1808 is used for diagnostic and
programming link as well as "slow"
communication e.g. for back up
purpose. The new instrument cluster
included a LCD panel to show
information or diagnostic messages
from the systems broadcast via J1708
data link.

D12 facelift

The original D12A engine was

considered as a rather conservatively
power rated and expectations of higher
power output from such an engine
design was always at the mind of not
only designer but customers alike. The
D12C differs from earlier version
substantially with completely
redesigned engine head, timing gears
and addition of bottom end of
reinforcement with a stiffening
subframe to cope with increased power
output to 460 hp (340 kW).

Gearbox

The gearboxes were based on previous

SR1900 series and shared the same
number of gears and gear change
pattern. The SR2400 series gearbox
was discontinued and replaced with the
now same model shared across entire
FH and FM range. Torque increases
from 1900 Nm to 2500 Nm were due to
changes to machining of the gears as
well as use of the new type of narrower
synchromesh mechanism allowing
increased gear width. The single control
housing and the synchro mechanism
reduced gearchange effort by about
50%.[8] The control housing was also
identical for left and right hand drive
versions reducing overall production
cost and assembly.

Version 2 (2002–2012)

FH version 2

In 2001 Volvo introduced the third

generation of the FH and FM series with
the cab and driveline given major
makeover.[9] with an investment cost of
600 million euros [10] Major changes
included redesign of the cab to improve
aerodynamics, the new automatic
gearchange transmission, I shift, new
electronics system and engine
improvements.

New Cab

The changes to the cab included a new

day cab, which is 150 mm longer with
redesigned air intake and flat floor. New
rear view mirrors were introduced to
reduce blind spots and improve air flow,
new headlights and front side marker
lights, new split sunvisor and new wider
front steps complemented the external
modifications. The interior was
redesigned with more rounded edges
around the dashboard and new seats
with integrated seatbelts. Integrated
telephone speaker and microphone with
steering wheel controls for radio and
inbuilt GSM phone were an option.

As a standard equipment FH models

also included FUPS (Front Underrun
Protection System) to further enhance
safety by preventing smaller vehicles
from being "underrun" or wedged under
front of the truck in an event of frontal
collision.

TC and I-Shift

D12D's further development of

venerable D12C resulted in
increased power output to 500 hp
(370 kW) equipped with turbo
compound (TC) technology which
utilise more energy from exhaust
gases after the turbocharger using
an extra turbine to drive the engine
crankshaft via hydraulic clutch and
reduction gearing. The cooling
system changes coincided with
more advanced electronics for
engine management system (EMS)
with electronically controlled
cooling fan which was now fully
controlled by the Engine ECU
(EECU) and as a result fuel
consumption is also reduced.

I-Shift control housing