Texelis Gears Up for Production of Canadian MSVS 8x8 Axles

Production of Volvo designed axles for the Kerax 8x8 logistic support vehicle being supplied to the Canadian Defence Forces by Mack Defense, a subsidiary of Renault Trucks Defense, is starting at the Texelis facility in Limoges, France.

Texelis, who won the order to supply the axles in 2016 will be providing 6,000 axle units over the next 18 months to be fitted to 1,500 8x8 chassis being assembled by Renault Trucks Defense for the Canadian Department of National Defence’s Medium Support Vehicle System (MSVS) Standard Military pattern (SMP) truck.

“To produce 6,000 axles in only 18 months has required our project management team to work hard to ensure not only that the factory is laid out to maximise production but also to work closely with our supply chain to arrange delivery of parts on time and to the high levels of quality that we require,” said Jean Vandel, Business Development Director at Texelis.

Prior to embarking on production Texelis has produced a number of axles for testing and certification over the last 12 months. During this period, the company has had to demonstrate quality and reliability for military off-road load carrying vehicles.

The Mack Defense Kerax 8x8 is a rigid chassis logistic tactical truck available with or without an armoured cab.  The twin steer front axles provide a tight turning radius and high performance with superior ride quality.  The Kerax 8x8 has a maximum payload of 32 tonnes, can climb a 60% incline, ford through up to 1.2m and a maximum road speed of 110 km/h.