DAF Trucks: patent on smart solutions

Since the company introduced its first truck in 1949, DAF Trucks has developed into a major player in the international truck market. Back in the 1950s, the company developed unique, efficient engines that provided extra power and was revolutionary in the development of comfortable and tiltable cabs. Furthermore, DAF introduced the first hybrid truck to the market in 2010 and, in 2018, the company became the first European truck manufacturer to launch an all-electric, emission-free truck. With the New Generation DAF trucks in 2021, the company once again demonstrated its strength in innovative transport solutions.

DAF Trucks is part of the American company PACCAR. The changing, more international market prompted DAF to fully integrate intellectual property into the product development process.

Maarten van Hal, patent officer at DAF Trucks: "First and foremost, a check for freedom to operate is very important to us. After all, if it turns out later in the development process that there is a patent infringement, you can in fact start all over again and you're getting behind schedule. We have professionalized that process starting in 2019. All departments, such as those for cabs, engines and integration, must go through a number of fixed steps in their product development process in order to move up a tollgate. The check for freedom to operate and patentability is now part of this. Is freedom to operate information missing or is there a roadblock? Then the next step in the development process is not released and action must be taken.

We have organized the patenting of ideas through patent coaches in each department. They are the first station to recognize new patent ideas and thereby help the engineers move forward. They know what is going on within their departments and usually have just a bit more knowledge and experience on the subject. They see to it that the checks on freedom to operate are done. We then record that in our systems.

As patent officer, I monitor and direct this process and engage V.O. to do further research and advise us. I then meet with the patent coach, the inventor and V.O. to discuss the opportunities. That way we can be sure that all issues related to intellectual property have been looked at and checked beforehand."

By continuing to innovate and strictly following the product development process, DAF Trucks is anticipating the future of road transport. In recent years, DAF has already taken major steps to make their trucks more sustainable and greatly reduce truck engine emissions. The bigger, global, challenge now is to find alternatives for heavy road transport as well that no longer cause any emissions at all and thus contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. Van Hal: "Unlike for passenger cars, there is not yet a single technical solution for heavy duty that is suitable for all applications.

As a truck manufacturer, you therefore have to develop multiple solutions. Thereby, the complete layout of a truck is again up for discussion: should the engine be in this place? What kind of engine should it be? And for what use is it suitable?

We are therefore preparing on several fronts. We already introduced trucks with an electric powertrain, so-called battery electric vehicles. But we are also working on zero emission hydrogen engines that emit only water vapor. This can be done by converting the hydrogen into electricity using fuel cell technology. But the hydrogen can also be burned in an internal combustion engine. We are therefore seeing a sharp increase in the number of patents, especially in the development of batteries and hydrogen technology. In short, there will still be plenty of reason for DAF and V.O. to keep discussing with each other."

Maarten van Hal, patent officer at DAF Trucks

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