HVAC system designed and developed by Bergstrom featured in 2019 International Truck of the Year
October 11, 2018
Bergstrom Inc. designed and developed the innovative HVAC system featured in the 2019 International Truck of the Year – the Ford F-MAX.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit in the F-MAX truck is a state-of-the-art system that represents the culmination of more than two years of work by Bergstrom engineers located in the United States, United Kingdom, Turkey and China.
"It’s great to see the F-MAX truck be recognized with this prestigious award,” said Bergstrom Global Engineering Vice President John Bracey. "When the Ford Otosan team in Turkey came to us with this project, its performance specifications were to design a best-in-class system, capable of delivering world class driver comfort under all operating conditions, and we met or exceeded all those targets.”
Central to Ford Otosan’s design mission of the F-MAX HVAC system was to increase performance by 15 percent compared to the predecessor unit in the Ford Cargo truck line. In addition, the system needed to feature nine different air distribution modes for increased comfort and control, where five air distribution modes are more typical.
"The space we were working in was very compact, so the system had to have highly efficient heat exchangers and unique air mixing features,” said Bracey. "We were very excited to work on this system and develop innovative approaches to tackle the unique design challenges. Ultimately, the Bergstrom engineering team was able to achieve the sophisticated air distribution mode control while meeting extremely tight specifications for temperature linearity and stratification.”
The International Truck of the Year award is adjudicated by a panel of independent judges comprised of 23 leading commercial vehicle journalists from across Europe. This year’s prize was announced at IAA Commercial Vehicles 2018 in Hanover, Germany. Key criteria for the award included innovation, comfort, safety, drivability, fuel economy, environmental footprint and total cost of ownership.
The Ford F-MAX features a spacious 2.5-meter cab, a high-performance 500-hp Ford Ecotorq engine and predictive cruise control that helps optimize fuel consumption. The new truck also features ConnecTruck which allows road condition analysis with a topographic map and remote vehicle monitoring.
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About Bergstrom Inc.
Bergstrom Inc. is the leading designer and manufacturer of cab climate systems for heavy-duty commercial trucks, off-highway machines and specialty vehicles. By combining progressive engineering talent, lean manufacturing principles and a global footprint, Bergstrom offers a unique blend of commercial vehicle marketplace focus and customer value. For more information, visit bergstrominc.com.
