ST. LOUIS – Hunter Engineering Co. has introduced the HD Elite, a heavy-duty wheel balancer that combines the features of Hunter's Road Force Elite and ForceMatch HD balancers to help eliminate wheel-related vibration and increase truck tire life.
The HD Elite features faster cycle times with a new laser vision system for touchless wheel measurement, automatic dimension and runout measurement, and eCal Auto-Calibration, which eliminates the need for an operator to manually calibrate, the company said.
"The laser vision system is a game-changer for HD assemblies," said Greg Meyer, Hunter's product manager of wheel balancers and brake lathes. "It allows the machine to balance and measure assembly runout faster than other HD balancers. This allows us to maximize tire life and minimize vibrations without a time penalty."
The HD Elite has the capacity to handle up wheel assemblies up to 52 inches in diameter and 500 pounds. The heavy-duty balancer is equipped with an intuitive, touchscreen interface that simplifies operation for technicians at all experience levels, the company said.
An optional load roller measures runout to correct the leading cause of vibration in heavy-duty tire assemblies.
The balancer also features Automatic CenteringCheck and an improved wheel lift with a damper to smooth operation, Hunter said.
