SKF Provides Bus Door Actuator Mechatronics Solution for Volvo Buses

SKF (STO:SKFA)(STO:SKFB)(Pink Sheets:SKFRY)(LSE:SKFB) today announced the delivery of the new SKF Bus Door Actuator, an actuator system that enables smooth opening and closing of bus doors, to Volvo Buses.

Developed in cooperation with Volvo Buses, the SKF Bus Door Actuator requires 80-90% less energy than a pneumatic door system, which reduces the fuel consumption by around 2 %. This reduction equates to a savings of 1.9 tonnes of CO₂ /year when compared to a bus using pressurized air to open and close the doors*. Volvo Buses introduced the door actuator on the Volvo 7900 Hybrid bus last month at the IAA exhibition in Hannover, Germany.

“This innovative development is a sustainable mechatronics solution for the bus segment. We are pleased to have worked closely with Volvo Buses on this solution. This clearly shows SKF’s commitment to develop solutions that help customers reduce negative environmental impact by improving energy efficiency and enabling improved fuel economy,” says Tryggve Sthen, President SKF Automotive.

“This solution gives a significant improvement to the environmental load of our vehicles over their life cycle. You could compare the fuel savings with reducing the weight of the bus by around 500-700kg,” says Edward Jobson, environment director for Volvo Buses.

Delivery of the components will begin in Q1, 2013. SKF manufactures the SKF Bus Door Actuator in Gothenburg, Sweden.

* The SKF Bus Door Actuator is included in the newly launched SKF BeyondZero portfolio. This figure is valid for one city bus, diesel hybrid with three double doors with one actuator per door (six actuators).