Cummins broadens SCR dosing via Hilite acquisition
Cummins Inc. has acquired the emissions control assets of Hilite International in Marktheidenfeld, Germany, and made them part of Cummins Emission Solution (CES), positioning the company to serve all major market applications with a Cummins doser. The selective catalytic reduction (SCR) dosing system developed by Hilite will complement existing Cummins aftertreatment technology, including controls, sensors, catalysts, substrates, and packaging. As part of the acquisition, 133 former Hilite employees have joined Cummins; for now, the business will continue to operate from the plant at Marktheidenfeld. “This acquisition puts Cummins in a strong position to meet the needs of current customers and grow into new markets, especially as an increasing number of regions around the world adopt tougher emissions standards,” said Srikanth Padmanabhan, Vice President and General Manager of CES.
Dow expands composite processing capabilities
Dow Automotive Systems has expanded its capabilities in composite processing technology with two new development facilities—one in Freienbach, Switzerland, and the other in Midland, MI. The labs support global automotive and commercial transportation customers with an emphasis on carbon-fiber composites. The 200-m2 (2150-ft2) Composite Technology Center in Freienbach opened in April and is equipped with a large high-pressure resin transfer molding (RTM) machine for prototype production. It also offers development and testing facilities for resins and related adhesives, as well as an Adhesives Training Center. The Midland tech center, which opened in June, accommodates technologies associated with direct long-fiber processing, prepreg, preforming, compression molding, and laminating. This 465-m2 (5000-ft2) site is co-located with key corporate R&D capabilities including analytical sciences, the Materials Engineering Center, and polymer chemistry and processing related expertise. The two new composite technology facilities are part of Dow Automotive Systems’ strategy to support the industry’s push for more lightweight solutions.
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Dow Automotive Systems' new Composite Tech Center in Freienbach is equipped with a large high-pressure resin transfer molding (RTM) machine for prototype production.
New ETI project to increase heavy-duty vehicle efficiency
The Energy Technologies Institute (ETI), working with Romax Technology, Castrol Ltd., and ANSYS Inc., has announced a £2.5 million project to reduce parasitic losses and increase the efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs). The project will focus on improving vehicles’ overall system design, including gears, bearings, surface treatments, lubricant flow, and lubricant composition. Parasitic losses in the lower drivetrain system can account for more than 10% of overall vehicle energy losses; the goal is to cut this loss by 50%. ETI plans to use the technologies developed in this project on a variety of HDVs, including buses, tractors, backhoe loaders, and wheeled loaders. “When we launched our HDV efficiency program, we stated a belief that HDV carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by up to one-third,” said Chris Thorne, Program Manager for Heavy Duty Vehicles at ETI. “This next phase of the program aims to take us closer to that end objective.”
Upcoming Volvo communication system services trucks remotely
In 2013, Volvo Trucks plans to release Telematics Gateway, a new software-based system that enables service technicians to evaluate trucks while they are on the road. The system will be able to access a truck’s information, including diagnostic trouble codes and mileage, over a wireless connection. Wear and tear on brake pads, batteries, and other elements of the vehicle can be detected remotely, which means fewer unnecessary trips to the workshop. “Today when we service a truck, we estimate a planned driving condition, but then the customer may use it more and drive in more heavy conditions,” said Christian Gustavsson, head of service at Volvo Trucks. “Now we can actually read out the usage from the truck so we can service the truck when it is really necessary.” The system will issue a warning if wear reaches a critical level, alerting the service technician to contact the customer and schedule a service. This increases the truck’s uptime and helps avoid unplanned maintenance stops. An informational video is available from Volvo Trucks on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmOYiOIF7lY&list=UUkKEthtUQHmBqIYZTHyfXoA&index=0&feature=plcp.
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Illustration of how Volvo Trucks' new Telematics Gateway works.
Trelleborg begins production of agricultural tires in China
Trelleborg Group inaugurated a new facility in Xingtai, Hebei, China, on June 27 to manufacture high-performance specialty tires, primarily for the agricultural industry. The manufacturing site produces both radial and bias technology tires for farming, forestry, and agro-industrial applications, and Trelleborg expects the facility to strengthen its competitiveness in markets other than the Chinese, by broadening its range and through more efficient production. “There is enormous potential within the agricultural sector in China. Today, more than half of farming operations in the country are conducted manually and industry mechanization is taking place rapidly. The demand for high-performance agricultural tires is favorable,” said Business Area President, Trelleborg Wheel Systems, Maurizio Vischi. “Through this establishment, Trelleborg becomes the first global manufacturer of agricultural tires to have its own production in China. The facility provides proximity to Chinese customers, but also support to European and U.S. customers in the local Chinese market.” The Trelleborg Group has several other manufacturing facilities in China—in Huizhou, Shanghai, Wuxi, and Qingdao. The facilities manufacture a range of engineered products and solutions based on polymer technology, such as marine systems, specialty components, industrial anti-vibration, and precision seals.
ContiTech expands plastic tubes production in U.S.
ContiTech Fluid Technology is building a competence center for plastic lines in the U.S., its second plastics competence center worldwide after one in Waltershausen, Thuringia, Germany. The company is investing about $11 million in the existing ContiTech Thermopol hose factory in Somersworth, NH, to help meet demand in North America, with the first construction stage recently going into operation. ContiTech says that orders from Ford and Chrysler are already exhausting the capacities of the first plant, which has been in production since January. A second system has been ordered and is expected to be installed in October. The company expects the number of plastic tubes it produces to increase fourfold by the end of 2013 compared to 2012. The Somersworth plant was more than doubled in size two years ago for the extrusion of turbocharger hoses and the assembly of SCR (selective catalytic reduction) hose line systems for diesel engines. Volume assembly of SCR lines for Cummins started in June, and lines for Caterpillar will follow shortly, according to ContiTech. Previously, only silicone hoses were produced in Somersworth. The expansion of the plastics technology operations will see a third, 6700-m2 (72,120-ft2) production hall built on the grounds, and an expected increase in the number of employees from 220 presently to 335 by the end of 2013.
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The blow-molding line at ContiTech’s Somersworth plant in New Hampshire currently produces about 150,000 plastic tubes annually.
Xinde common-rail system receives patent certificate, already booked up
Weifang Hengyuan Oil Pump and Nozzle Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary company of Xinde Science and Technology Co., Ltd., has succeeded in developing a diesel engine FIRCRI common-rail, electrically controlled fuel-injection system. The company, working in close cooperation with the State Key Laboratory of Engines of Tianjin University since December 2003, has been granted a technical patent certificate, with exclusive intellectual property owned by Xinde. According to Xinde, its system is comparable to the oil injection system of Robert Bosch and Denso and can replace import products. The new product is said to adapt well to China’s oil characteristics and to meet stricter emissions standards than Euro III/IV standards; applications include various types of diesel engines for cars, trucks, machinery, and locomotives. When the system becomes commercially available, it already has been booked up by Weichai Power, Jiangsu Jianghuai Engine Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Emei Diesel Engine Co., Ltd., according to Xinde. The company anticipates the designed production capacity of the phase-I project to be 200,000 sets.
GE accelerates growth in mining equipment with two planned acquisitions
GE announced in mid-May that it is pursuing acquisitions of two underground mining equipment manufacturers in support of the global expansion of its mining business. GE has entered into an agreement to acquire 100% of Australia-based Industrea Ltd., a provider of safety and productivity-enhancing mining equipment and services. The transaction, valued at approximately A$700 million, is subject to Industrea shareholder approval. Its shareholders will vote on the offer in the second half of 2012, and GE expects the transaction to close later in 2012. The company also signed a binding Letter of Intent to acquire Fairchild International, an independently owned and operated underground mining equipment manufacturer located in Glen Lyn, VA. The transaction with Fairchild is expected to close in the third quarter of 2012; terms of the agreement were not disclosed. GE says that the two manufacturers are well positioned in dynamic growth regions for mining, including Australia, China (Industrea), and the U.S. (Fairchild). Both companies will become part of GE Transportation’s global mining business and will benefit from GE’s clean propulsion systems, energy-storage offerings, and system integration capabilities.
Navistar Defense, partners unveil Special Operations Tactical Vehicle
Navistar Defense LLC, Indigen Armor, and SAIC recently unveiled the team’s Special Operations Tactical Vehicle for the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV) 1.1 program. The vehicle is built on Indigen Armor’s proven Non-Standard Tactical Truck (NSTT) platform and designed to be its modular and overt tactical equivalent. The team’s Special Operations Tactical Vehicle is transportable in an armored and mission-ready state on an M/CH-47 helicopter. The vehicle, which is designed for maximum off-road speed and mobility for a variety of terrain found in desert, jungle, mountain, and arctic environments, incorporates a full government furnished Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) suite. The Special Operations Tactical Vehicle chassis, suspension, powertrain, and armored occupant safety cell were engineered to carry large payloads in three-, five, and seven-man variants. The scalable armor packages meet multiple threat levels and accommodate a variety of low-profile and overt tactical body styles, which allow the vehicle’s profile to be changed at the crew level.
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The team’s Special Operations Tactical Vehicle is built on Indigen Armor’s proven Non-Standard Tactical Truck (NSTT) platform and designed to be its modular, overt tactical equivalent.
Michelin expands earthmover tire production in South Carolina
Michelin North America broke ground in April on a new earthmover tire manufacturing plant in Anderson County, SC, and is also expanding its existing earthmover tire facility in Lexington, SC. The two projects represent a $750 million investment. The new earthmover tire plant will be adjacent to the company’s existing rubber processing plant in Starr, SC, and is expected to be operational by late 2013. “The market for earthmover tires grew by more than 20% between 2009 and 2011. This new facility will help us meet sustained demand while also attaining our growth objectives for 2015,” said Jean-Dominique Senard, Managing General Partner of Michelin. The expanded operation at Lexington will begin production in October. In addition to the Lexington plant, Michelin currently produces earthmover tires in Waterville, Canada; Campo Grande, Brazil; Le Puy and Montceau-les-Mines, France; Vitoria, Spain; and Zalau, Romania. A spokesperson noted that the company does not disclose the production numbers of any Michelin tire, but Michelin North America’s Chairman and President Pete Selleck claims that “nearly every earthmover tire is sold before it is produced.”
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Michelin is building a new earthmover tire plant in South Carolina and is expanding another to satisfy growing demand worldwide.
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