Battery of Tests Illustrate Reliability/Durability of Engines
PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC)
and Freightliner LLC today announced that their joint testing activities are
the cornerstone for a successful launch of new engines in 2007 to meet the new
emissions standards.
Detroit Diesel will launch three redeveloped engines in 2007: the heavy-
duty Series 60 and MBE 4000, and the medium-duty MBE 900. The company's
confidence in being ready for EPA '07 is rooted in its testing program, which
was begun in August 2004 with the first 2007 prototype Series 60 running in a
test cell at Redford.
"The launch of these three engines represents our largest investment ever,
and this is in addition to the extensive training and resources we have
established to support EPA '07," said Tim Tindall, Program Director for EPA
'07 for Detroit Diesel Corporation. "Our test program for EPA '07 is the most
comprehensive in our history. It sets the standards for the future quality of
our engines. Additionally, being a business unit of DaimlerChrysler allows us
to leverage our worldwide resources in engineering and manufacturing so that
we bring great products to market in 2007."
Detroit Diesel and Freightliner's testing program is comprised of various
components, including: test cell dynamometers, reliability testing, durability
testing, and an extensive customer demonstration program. In total across all
three engines, more than 24 million test miles will be accumulated before
launch in 2007.
"The testing program enables Detroit Diesel and Freightliner to gain
valuable test miles from both a component and systems perspective so that they
may continue refining the engine well before the start of production ever
begins," explained Tindall.
Here is a brief description of each testing element and how it benefits
engine development:
Test Cell Dynamometers
Allow for a controlled environment and specific variable conditions by
which to test the engine.
Optimal for stress testing of the engine in such areas as overspeed, high
temperatures, and high altitudes.
Durability Testing
Conducted to understand wear rates of major components; provides insight
into components strength and design overall.
Reliability Testing
Goal is to complete testing objective without failure of the engine.
Typically conducted in a test cell dynamometer and in a test vehicle.
Customer Demonstration Program
Provides real-time, real-life application of the engine to see where
refinements are needed in order to strengthen the product prior to launch.
Strategic relationships/customers are selected in a highly cooperative and
collaborative information sharing venture regarding the product.
"If you look across all of the testing that DDC does, it's very
impressive," said Larry Dutko, EPA '07 Program Manager for Freightliner LLC.
"The comprehensive testing program utilized in developing the EPA '07-
compliant engines was a significant factor in achieving the challenging
emissions targets 12 months ahead of the regulatory emissions deadline. All
three of the engines have undergone extensive testing to ensure they are the
most reliable and durable on the market. When we started the development
program, there were several new components that had to be designed and tested
to DDC's high standards. Although there were a lot of initial concerns about
meeting our rigorous schedule, the engineers at DDC exceeded all of my
expectations and we now have a family of engines that are ready to test in the
market with actual customers."
Dutko explains that much of the success seen in the testing results is the
outcome of extremely collaborative efforts between Detroit Diesel and
Freightliner LLC.
"We are pleased with the effort and success achieved so far. However, we
continue to look for additional opportunities to further improve the
reliability and performance of our engines and vehicles. For example, further
optimization of the current particulate filter regeneration strategy is an on-
going project as it will result in additional cost savings benefits to our
customers," expressed Dutko. "While the vehicle functional development
testing is led by us, we work shoulder-to-shoulder with Detroit Diesel to
develop a highly integrated drivetrain package, ensuring that critical
packaging and installation issues are resolved well in advance of launch,
resulting in a better, higher quality engine and vehicle overall."
Freightliner LLC, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, is the leading
medium- and heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America. Freightliner
produces and markets Class 5-8 vehicles and is a company of DaimlerChrysler,
the world's largest commercial vehicle manufacturer.
Detroit Diesel Corporation is the leading manufacturer of on-highway
heavy-duty diesel engines for the commercial truck market. The company offers
a complete line of engines from 170 to 515 horsepower for the on-highway and
vocational markets. Through its corporate headquarters in Detroit, Michigan,
Detroit Diesel is engaged in the design, manufacture, sale and service of
these products, in addition to supporting alternative and hybrid engine
strategies for the commercial truck marketplace. Detroit Diesel is a
subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler and part of the Freightliner group of companies.
SOURCE Detroit Diesel Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.detroitdiesel.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/239425.html
CONTACT:
Liane Bilicki of Detroit Diesel Corporation,
+1-313-592-5266
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