For the past 15 or so years, the changeover to a new emissions standard has posed a major challenge for both OEMs and engine manufacturers. And since the very first changeover, engine efficiency and emissions levels have progressively improved and have reached levels that seemed unattainable years ago, so much so that the air coming out of a diesel engine is often times cleaner than the air going in.

These kind of changes have demanded innovative technologies, both within the engine itself and with its aftertreatment system. Often, because of changes to the installation space, aftertreatment systems in particular have demanded a lot back and forth between from machine designers and aftertreatment engineers.

In anticipation of the EU Stage IV/U.S. EPA Tier 4 emissions standard, introduced in 2014, Deutz had already re-designed substantial parts of its engine range from scratch and had implemented the latest exhaust aftertreatment technology.

And now, on the basis of the EU Commission’s Stage V proposals, published in September 2014, Deutz says that its sealed DPF-equipped engines in the 2.9- to 7.8-L range already meet the limits envisaged for 2019. The definitive regulation is expected at the beginning of 2016, and just about everyone in the industry agrees, at least for now, that meeting Stage V—which introduces PM number count—will make DPFs mandatory.

As Deutz stresses, the implication of this is that no expensive modifications to customer equipment will be needed to meet the next emissions standard because engine dimensions and design remain the same. All Deutz engines fitted with DPFs are also certified in accordance with EN 1834 without requiring additional spark arrestors to be fitted, allowing them to be used in places with an increased fire hazard.

According to Michael Wellenzohn, a member of the Board of Management of Deutz with responsibility for Sales/Service & Marketing, Deutz announcing its Stage V solution now shows its commitment “to provide customers with the best possible product planning support and to help them upgrade their products to meet Stage V, which applies in equal measure to planning certainty and future-proof technology.”

Planning certainty not only offers benefits in terms of engine integration but also for after-sales. Training courses and service provisions are also part of the long-term planning process. Deutz says there will still be emissions downgrade engines so that an across-the-board engine platform can be used both in Stage V markets and in areas with more relaxed regulations.