Gibbstown company signs deal big with German partnership

Gibbstown, Navan-based Timoney Technology Limited (TTL) has been appointed to provide key technology by Rheinmetall Man Military Vehicles GmbH (RMMV), a joint venture between two of Germany’s biggest vehicle and vehicle components manufacturers, the Rheinmetall AG and Man Nutzfarzeuge groups. Under the licence agreement, TTL has been appointed as RMMV’s supplier for independent wheel suspension and driveline systems for RMMV’s new family of Wisent armoured vehicles and other vehicles which feature independent suspension drivelines in 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 configurations. Announcing the association, Dr Gerhard Skoff, managing director of RMMV, said: “This is an important strategic milestone for our company; the superior know-how in drivelines and independent wheel suspensions of our new technology partner, TTL, will significantly support us in maintaining our goal to be the leading company for wheeled military vehicles.” Shane O’Neill, the chief executive officer (CEO) of TTL, said: “TTL is excited to be closely involved with RMMV and proud that, through TTL Ireland, we can offer such fundamental automotive engineering to RMMV and Germany, the country which invented the motor car and leads the world in this technology since 1885. TTL, by paying close attention to vehicle mission requirements, have produced the right product in the configuration needed by RMMV.” He said RMMV’s newly developed Wisent 8x8 vehicle has undergone extensive and gruelling trials with the German Army. Both RMMV and TTL have been delighted by the performance of the Wisent trials, he added. The RMMV venture, established earlier this year, is expected to generate revenue of more than €1bn by 2012, providing an indication of the importance to TTL of this prestigious appointment. The agreement with RMMV is the latest in a series of international alliances established by the Gibbstown company in recent years, including a joint development agreement with one of China’s largest truck manufacturers, Sinotruk, and a North American sales and distribution partnership with Chalmers Suspensions International Inc. This is in addition to the continuing success of the TTL-designed Bushmaster vehicle in Australia, as well as the incorporation of Timoney technology into Terex Construction Articulated Dump Trucks. The intense interest in independent suspension among the world’s leading heavy vehicle manufacturers validates the faith TTL has shown towards this technology, and which has given the Irish company a leading edge in design of drive systems incorporating independent suspension systems. The deal with RMMV, which is now the pre-eminent German manufacturer of armoured and non-armoured military vehicles in Germany, is a profound endorsement of TTL, Mr O’Neill believes. The huge German company was able to select from all available technologies before settling on the Timoney design as its partner for a new generation of vehicles aimed at a peacekeeping role. Timoney Technology Ltd is a global leader in the field of vehicle driveline technology and specialises the area of independent wheel movement driveline systems, steering systems, planetary drive solutions, transfer cases, vehicle dynamics, whole body vibration analysis and vehicle design. Timoney serves the construction, firefighting, vocational, military, mining and unmanned vehicle markets. The firm utilises its fundamental knowledge of vehicle dynamics to provide customers with the appropriate design of components to meet the mission requirements of the host vehicle.