Product Launch - Hydrop H3

 

Engineering of KALLER Hydrop H3

We spoke to our engineers who developed the H3 to get some insights into the process.

 

Initially, the H3 was developed for a specific customer need. What was it like working so closely with a customer to solve their needs?

It's rewarding and informative to work closely with a customer. The demands are set high, and we are required to challenge our own boundaries and learn from them. It drives the development forward in a faster pace and forces us to leave our comfort zone.

It has been a fun project with many iterative steps where the customer has been involved from beginning to end. 

 

What was the toughest, technical challenge the team faced during the development? How did you overcome it?

The toughest technical challenge was the strong demand to reduce the weight of the Hydrop as much as possible, without risking the strength of the materials or the function of the Hydrop. It forced us to think outside the box and led to many changes to the previous design of the components, which in turn had to be tested and evaluated in an extremely tight time schedule. We overcame it by working together cross-functionally.

 

Was there a Eureka moment during prototyping where the development took a massive leap forward?

Yes! The development took a great step forward when we realized we did not have to be restricted by the previous design of the piston rod protection. The previous design of the piston rod protection for H3 was heavily influenced by that of the H5. With the demand for a considerably weight reduced H3 we were forced to leave the idea of not redesigning the piston rod protection and instead begun sketching new ideas for the design of the upper end cap without this limitation. This led to the weight of the upper end cap being reduced approximately 1 kg and a new design of the piston rod protection with a new mounting procedure, so far performing good. 

 

What is the single most exciting feature or component you designed for this product, and how does it directly benefit the customer?

Both the upper and lower end caps have been heavily redesigned. Not only did we manage to reduce the weight approximately 1 kg per end cap, but they are also manufactured in one piece instead of being welded together which previously was the standard procedure.  This allowed for freer design and placement of both oil - and gas ports, which in turn enabled further weight reduction. Initially, this was a challenge for our production but with a close and cross-functional collaboration the end result turned out really good. We can proudly say all major steel components in H3 are manufactured inhouse, in our workshop in Tranås, Sweden!

Another exciting component recently developed is our straddle bearing solution, EPEX, designed and manufactured in our workshop in Tranås, Sweden. Manufacturing it ourselves allows for a great freedom of meeting specific interface demands from customers, with a lead time of only a couple weeks maximum. The straddle bearing solution is not only available for H3, but also for H5. 

 

Now that H3 is officially launched, what are you most excited to see forward?

We look forward to continuing to work with new and existing customers, with new vehicle projects, both wheeled and tracked. We hope for H3 to open doors to new vehicle projects and for various types of vehicles. 

We are also looking forward to receiving feedback from the customers testing H3. It drives the development forward and in the direction of what customers are actually asking for and value. Overall customer feedback makes us even better!