Voith retarders – for greater safety, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability

Voith retarders – for greater safety, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability

Better braking – with Voith retarders for commercial vehicles

    With Voith retarders, up to 90 percent of all braking actions can be performed without wear. This represents a significant increase in safety. Retarders protect the service brakes, thus reducing expenditures on spare parts and maintenance. At the same time, transport capabilities increase due to higher average speeds.

    High brake performance is essential when it comes to stopping a bus that weighs several tons. Classic friction brakes can reach temperatures of up to 1000 degrees under demanding conditions such as adaptive braking on the highway or on long downslopes. This leads to a rapid reduction in braking efficiency. Voith retarders provide the solution: The permanent hydrodynamic endurance brake system ensures wear-free braking – and is always available, even during lengthy braking maneuvers. This protects the vehicle’s service brakes and ensures they are always available. It is no surprise that endurance brakes in buses and trucks are a legal requirement throughout Europe.

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    Voith retarders – the advantages at a glance

    • Greater safety throughout the entire speed range ensured by high retarder brake performance and cold service brakes 
    • Downhill cruise control – using the v-constant function, the retarder maintains constant driving speed on downward slopes 
    • Lower operating costs – considerably longer periods without the use of service brakes results in fewer visits to the repair shop and lower maintenance costs 
    • Low weight – Voith retarders are light, allowing optimal use of load limits
    • Higher transport capabilities – due to higher and more uniform average speeds 
    • Lower consumption – more uniform speeds and proactive driving behavior saves fuel
    • Non-polluting – up to 80% lower emissions of brake dust

    The Voith retarder portfolio – the right solution for every vehicle

      Together with vehicle manufacturers we are developing customized retarder solutions.

      Oil retarder

      Using an oil supply that is independent of the transmission fluid, the oil in Voith’s oil retarders can tolerate the maximum permissible operating temperatures. The braking energy is transferred via the heat exchanger to the vehicle’s cooling circuit, where it is effectively dissipated.

      Retarder 3250
      The VR 3250 is a high-performance step-up gear retarder developed in partnership through close cooperation between Voith and Volvo. It has its own transmission-independent oil supply and is used by Volvo in tour and long-distance buses.

      Technical data

      Step-up ratio i = 2,03
      Max. rated brake torque max. 3250 Nm
      Maximum speed at the propshaft 2 500 rpm
      Standard operation 5-stage hand-brake switch
      stage 1 = automatic mode (downhill cruise control)
      Operation medium oil (see fuel specification Volvo)
      Fill rate (oil change) 5,6 l
      Control medium compressed air
      Unit weight incl. flange, heat exchanger without operating medium approx. 56 kg bus-version
      Nominal voltage 24 V

      Water retarder

      The Voith Aquatarder provides braking using the engine coolant. This means there is no additional operating medium, no additional oil change, and no adjustment work.

      Voith Aquatarder SWR
      Safe, cost-effective, and sustainable – the Voith Aquatarder SWR is the first secondary retarder that brakes with water. The SWR uses the engine coolant as its operating medium. This means no additional oil changes, and no adjustment work. With its compact design, it requires 50% less installation space and is 35 kg lighter than a comparable oil retarder. The Aquatarder SWR is used in Mercedes-Benz tour buses: Travego, Tourismo, Integro, as well as the Setra series TopClass, ComfortClass, and MultiClass.

      Technical data

      Step-up ratio i = 1,83
      Max. braking torque at the propshaft 3 500 Nm
      Standard operation Multifunction lever 5-stage
      + function v-const
      option: foot control
      Operation medium Engine coolant in compliance with Mercedes-Benz operating instructions
      Control medium compressed air
      Unit weight 46 kg
      Nominal voltage 24 V

      Hydrodynamic braking – retarder design and operation

        Voith retarder operating principles

        Hydrodynamic braking – retarder design and operation

        • Hydrodynamics makes wear-free braking possible.
        • The magnitude of the braking torque depends on fill level and speed. 
        • The retarder is perfectly integrated into the vehicle braking management system.
        • The braking energy is converted into heat and dissipated via the vehicle cooling system.

        Offline retarders – a question of transmission

        Offline-Retarder

        The secondary retarders are installed in the gearbox and brakes and are dependent on the speed of the drive shaft.

        Do you have any questions about Voith retarders?
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          Further information about Voith retarders

            • Wear-free braking – this is how the retarder works | Interactive flash animation for downloading (German)

              ZIP, 0.30 MB
              German

            Our Service - Part of Your Business

              Where your bus is in good hands

              Whether it’s maintenance or repairs, troubleshooting, or the functional testing of individual components: our professionals will make sure you stay on the road.

              Judge us by our performance

              • Onboard troubleshooting and upgrade 
              • Replacement and repair 
              • Repair of supplied retarders (all model series) 
              • Troubleshooting and functional testing of individual components 
              • Worldwide delivery of Voith original spare parts, as well as 
              • replacements and basic retarders 

              Retarder oil list

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