Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2024 - 9

TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS
CONNECTIVITY | ELECTRIFICATION
MTA expands wireless communication, EV tech for trucks
Automotive electrical and electronics
manufacturer MTA attended IAA
Transportation for the first time, demonstrating
its new range of wireless communication
technologies for the truck
industry. Earlier this year, the company
acquired Calearo Antenne S.p.A, a company
with a long history of producing
antennas, amplifiers and cables.
MTA global sales director Davide
Bonelli explained to Truck & Off-Highway
Engineering how that acquisition complements
its business. " From a more
strategic point of view, we see the world
of antennas as complementary to what
MTA does, " he said. " Often MTA products
have an antenna as an interface, so
this is one reason why we have done the
deal. There are also a lot of synergies
from an engineering standpoint.
Historically, MTA is a company that uses
many mechanical parts - plastics, metals
- which we are very strong with so
we can share them. And there are also
some competences from Calearo
Antenne that can be transferred to us. "
Bonelli gave the example of a radio
MTA's high-voltage PDU
uses cast-aluminum housings
instead of plastic, and aluminum
in place of copper for the busbars.
antennas include 5G mobile, V2X (vehicle-to-everything),
precise GNSS
(Global Navigation Satellite Systems),
Wi-Fi up to 6 GHz as well as Bluetooth
connectivity, analog communications
and digital and satellite radio services.
The company recently won a new order
for Bluetooth antennas from a global
truck producer for European and
American production.
interface, or alternatively, telematics
data. " In addition to the traditional receivers'
antenna or the telematics antenna,
there are also some technologies
like foil antennas, where you do not
have to make holes in the vehicle roof,
or antennas that can be integrated into
the vehicle structure, or maybe that can
be integrated into the windscreen and
then you just need an amplifier to amplify
the signal. "
Signals that can be handled by the
Electrifying and charging
MTA also displayed some of its other
products at the IAA tradeshow. The company
recently developed high-voltage
power distribution units (PDU) for electrified
platforms produced by major truck
OEMs. The PDUs use cast aluminum
housings in place of plastic. MTA says this
ensures insulation from external sources,
robust construction, optimal heat dissipation
and enhanced electromagnetic
compatibility (EMC) shielding. Internally,
aluminum also is used for the busbars in
place of copper to save weight.
MTA acquired Calearo
Antenne and its range of
antennas earlier this year.
Onboard battery
chargers from MTA offer
bi-directional capability
permitting energy discharge from the
battery pack back to the grid or other devices.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
Onboard battery chargers (OBC) capable
of handling up to 1,000 volts and
up to 22 kW of power also were on display
for heavy-duty electric vehicles.
The latest models, the BHP 19 and BHP
22, are designed to handle 19.2 kW for
U.S. applications and 22 kW for the
European market, respectively. They
offer low weight and bi-directional
power handling, using the latest silicon
carbide (SiC) and power converter
technologies. The bi-directional capability
permits charging from the grid and
energy discharge from the battery pack
back to the grid or other devices.
MTA also claims fast DC charging
capability from the BHP chargers. The
integration in the OBC is said to optimize
the architecture, reducing complexity,
cost and weight. They also include
an electrical power takeoff
(ePTO), a feature especially useful for
off-highway applications. All the power
components of the BHP chargers are
liquid cooled. MTA's OBCs are produced
in Italy and Mexico.
John Kendall
December 2024 9
ALL IMAGES: MTA
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - December 2024

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