DANA

Dana Incorporated broke ground on a state-of-the-art gear manufacturing facility in Europe to support new business in the region.  The 140,000 square-foot (13,000 square-meter) facility in Győr, Hungary will provide customers in the region with access to Dana’s advanced design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise to support their sourcing initiatives and technology strategies.

The company is investing approximately €46 million in the new facility, which will begin production in early 2018 employing approximately 200 highly qualified associates when full production is reached in 2020.

The facility will produce Spicer^® AdvanTEK^® hypoid or spiral bevel ring and pinion gear sets.  Dana manufactures gears for traditional banjo and beam axles, as well as all-wheel-drive systems.  Full axle assembly on the site is possible in the future.

The company’s AdvanTEK line of gears offers best-in-class noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) performance, as well as greater power density in a compact package.  When integrated into an axle, these gear sets are responsible for transmitting driving torque to the wheels – delivering improved fuel efficiency, enhanced vehicle performance, and maximum durability for the complete spectrum of light and commercial vehicles.

The new plant will serve as the company’s fourth operation in Hungary.  The decision to develop another plant within the country was made possible by the Hungarian Investment Promotion Agency (HIPA), which awarded Dana development grants and tax incentives.

“We are excited to be building this new gear-manufacturing facility to support new business growth in Europe,” said Bob Pyle, president of Dana Light Vehicle Driveline Technologies.  “This plant is strategically positioned in close proximity to our existing Győr operations and will enable us to deliver technologies to our European customers more quickly and cost effectively.

“We are grateful for the strong support that HIPA and the Hungarian government have provided as we expand our gear-manufacturing capacity in the region.  Dana has operated in Győr for more than 10 years, and we know from experience that we can find exceptional employees there,” Pyle added.

Dana Incorporated announced that it will begin supplying axles and driveshafts for the 2018 Isuzu FTR from Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.  Production of this new Class 6 medium-duty truck will begin mid-2017.

The 2018 Isuzu FTR will be assembled with a Spicer^® single-reduction drive axle, Spicer^® E-Series steer axles, and a Spicer Life^® Series driveshaft.

“We chose Spicer axles and driveshafts for the 2018 Isuzu FTR due to Dana’s dedication to quality and innovation,” said Shaun Skinner, president of Isuzu Commercial Truck of America.  “This truck represents our vision of the future for the medium-duty industry.  The truck of tomorrow needs to be fuel efficient, maneuverable, environmentally friendly, and offer a low cost of ownership.  Dana’s driveline components will help achieve all of those objectives.”

The 2018 Isuzu FTR is designed for city delivery applications, such as beverage, box, and refrigerated box trucks.  Like all Isuzu trucks, the 2018 Isuzu FTR will feature a low cab forward design for increased visibility and maneuverability, features that are crucial to these types of applications.  These trucks will be powered by a segment-first Isuzu 4HK1-TC 5.2 liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, and will also include an Allison 2000 Series automatic transmission.

Dana’s driveline components help to optimize the 2018 Isuzu FTR for durability and efficiency.  Spicer single-reduction drive axles have been engineered with stronger wheel differentials to absorb shock, providing maximum robustness for city delivery applications.  Spicer E-Series steer axles with a new lightweight beam design are the lightest weight solution on the market, weighing up to 69 pounds less than competitive offerings.  Spicer Life Series medium-duty driveshafts are the premier drivetrain offering for this market.  Precision balanced for reduced noise, vibration, and harshness and permanently lubricated with a sealed spline, these driveshafts have been designed for reduced maintenance and extended product life.

Dana has previously supplied driveline components and thermal technologies for Isuzu trucks in Japan and Thailand.