Cummins' underground mining diesel engine

Cummins expects its 87-kW (116-hp) underground mining diesel engine to be used for applications including personal and service vehicles, air compressors, pumps, and utility vehicles.

Cummins Inc.'s B3.9 87-kW (116-hp) engine has been certified by CANMET and MSHA for underground mining, the second in a series of Cummins engines obtaining such approval.

Used for personnel and service vehicles, air compressors, pumps, and utility vehicles, the company expects the B3.9 to take a "strong foothold in underground mining." Built with an advanced piston design, plateau-honed cylinders, and a Bosch inline fuel pump, the engine produces a cleaner combustion and more power with less oil consumption than competing engines, claims Cummins.

"Approval of the B3.9 is another step in establishing our presence in the underground mining market," said Joel Lerner, Mining Marketing Director, Cummins. The B3.9 joins other Cummins engines approved for underground mining, including the 24-valve Turbo Diesel engine in the Dodge Ram and the 485-kW (650-hp) QSK19.

Cummins already has a significant presence in the open-pit mining engine market. "We're confident that the B3.9 diesel engine will prove to be as reliable and dependable as our other engines that are currently serving the market," said Ed Claypool, General Manager-Mining Business, Cummins.

Bayer provides perfect pill to Deere

The rear shield of the John Deere 9650 STS and 9750 STS combines includes the center section with the John Deere logo and a section above the left, rear wheel. Its design was a collaborative effort between Deere, Bayer, and G.I. Plastek.

In promoting features of its new 9650 STS and 9750 STS combines, John Deere likes to point out the harvesters' composite side and rear shields. "They're stronger than large, multi-piece steel shielding, and more resistant to impact damage. Corrosion resistant, too. And they're easier to clean," according to the company's website.

Deere engineers designed the 1.8 x 1.8-m (6 x 6-ft), 27-kg (56-lb) rear shield on the combines for production using reaction injection-molding (RIM) technology, a proprietary in-mold coating process, and structural foam polyurethane RIM material from Bayer Corp. All three elements of the process together produce an enhanced structural component that was also cost efficient.

According to Gregory McCunn, Supply Management Engineer, Composites, for John Deere Harvester Works, the company's engineers co-developed the rear shield with a rear engine deck that is housed beneath the shield. He said Deere anticipated making future changes to the engine deck, which might also require design changes to the rear shield.

Working with RIM molder G.I. Plastek of Newburyport, MA, McCunn said Deere was able to use a nickel-shell tool for the rear shield, which offered a cost savings of more than $150,000 compared with more expensive tooling materials. "The size of the part, combined with the demand for Class-A surface quality at a competitive price, made RIM a very attractive option," said Phil Cashen, Commercial Manager for G.I. Plastek.

Deere selected Baydur 730 IBS from Bayer's Polyurethanes Division to mold the rear shield. The Baydur system is a rigid polyurethane structural foam system used in the RIM process that incorporates a specially engineered interactive blowing system (IBS) and is supplied as two reactive liquid components that form a foamed, solid material when they are combined during molding operations. Applications of the Baydur 730 IBS system typically take advantage of the material's strength as well as its enhanced surface finish, large-part capability, and good flow characteristics for construction, agricultural, and industrial markets.

According to McCunn, the Baydur system provided a lightweight material that is structurally stiff enough that it does not require any secondary reinforcement across the more than 2.8 m² (30 ft²) of rear shield, such as ribbing or metal braces. "Strength across the large surface area of this part was important," he said.

Additionally, the Baydur system is compatible with the proprietary ProTeck In-Mold Coating System of G.I. Plastek. According to Cashen, this process provided a 50% savings compared with competitive post-painting costs. The ProTek system achieves a Class-A finish over the entire shield within a 10-min cycle time.