Diesel Progress North American Edition articles from January 2004

Diesel Progress North American Edition archives from January 2004

Plug & play.(Top dead center)(Power Gen Show)
January 1, 2004... Last month's Power Gen Show had one major surprise, other than the cold weather in Las Vegas. Optimism. Actually cautious optimism because everyone is still too fragile to be flat out optimistic. A combination of sets going to Iraq, the...

During the last few years the Mahle Group established two piston production plants in China--Mahle (Nanjing) Piston Co. Ltd. and Mahle Engine Components (Yingkou) Co. Ltd.(international report)
January 1, 2004... During the last few years the Mahle Group established two piston production plants in China--Mahle (Nanjing) Piston Co. Ltd. and Mahle Engine Components (Yingkou) Co. Ltd. Now the company has taken another important step to enhance its market...

Delphi Corp.(international report)
January 1, 2004... Delphi Corp. has been awarded a contract by Nissan Diesel Motor Co. to supply diesel engine management systems (EMS) for heavy-duty, 2004 model year truck applications. The EMS systems will consist of Delphi's new E3 Electronic Unit Injector...

Eaton Corp., Shaanxi Fast Gear Co. Ltd. (SFGW) and Xiang Torch Investment Co. Ltd. have signed a joint venture agreement to produce heavy-duty truck transmissions in Xi'an, China, for the growing Chinese market.(international report)
January 1, 2004... Eaton Corp., Shaanxi Fast Gear Co. Ltd. (SFGW) and Xiang Torch Investment Co. Ltd. have signed a joint venture agreement to produce heavy-duty truck transmissions in Xi'an, China, for the growing Chinese market. The joint venture will be called...

Scania.(international report)
January 1, 2004... Sales of Scania buses in Italy, one of Europe's largest bus markets, continue to be healthy, as the company reported the sale of 102 buses for city and intercity operations to four customers. The two largest deals cover 42 city buses in Lecce...

AB Volvo.(international report)
January 1, 2004... AB Volvo said it has received an order for 100 of its B7R bus chassis for South Africa. The order, from Remant/Alton Land Transport (PTY) Ltd., is for buses that will be used for public transport services in and around Durban on the east coast...

Dana Corp.(international report)(Hino Motors Ltd.)
January 1, 2004... Dana Corp. has been selected by Hino Motors Ltd. to provide Spicer driveshaft assemblies for 2005 model year Hino North American Class 4 through 7 vehicles. Hino's all-new 2005 model year conventional-style trucks will be available at Hino's...

New family of compact planetary drives.(powertrain)(from Fairfield Manufacturing Co.)
January 1, 2004... Building on its already extensive range of planetary gear drive systems, Fairfield Manufacturing, Lafayette, Ind., has developed a new line of planetary drives for mobile and industrial equipment applications. The new Torque-Hub Excel drives...

Two new engines for Honda: GS 6 hp and 6.5 hp fill product range for smaller turf equipment.(gasoline engines)
January 1, 2004... American Honda has introduced the GS series of gasoline engines, placing two new models directly between its GC series premium residential engines and the GX commercial engines. The new 6.0 hp model GS190 is a horizontal shaft design, while...

Dateline.(Calendar)
January 1, 2004... September-March * Sept 8-Mar 8 The Diesel Progress Off-Highway Show 11, In Print and OnLine, Diesel Progress, 20855 Watertown Rd., Suite 220, Waukesha, WI 53186. Tel: (262) 832-5000. Fax: (262) 832-51175. Web:...

New driver hours rules will impact shippers.(street smarts)
January 1, 2004... Jan. 4, 2004 is a very important day for truck drivers, the fleets they drive for and for the companies they deliver to. The impact on the entire trucking industry may rival the waves of deregulation in 1980 which at the time was the biggest...

Kawasaki expands engine lineup, facilities.(gasoline engines)(Kawasaki Motors Corp.)
January 1, 2004... Kawasaki Motors Corp., Grand Rapids, Mich., has significantly enhanced its gasoline engine product line by expanding its FD engine series and introducing two new engine lines, the FH KAI and FJ series. The engines range from 3 to 26 hp and...

The biggest twins on the block: Briggs & Stratton bolsters Commercial Power lineup with new Vanguard Big Block V-Twins; 25 to 35 hp in air- and liquid-cooled engines.(industry news)
January 1, 2004... At the launch of its Commercial Power initiative roughly a year ago, Briggs & Stratton Corp. expressed its determination to be a more significant player in the industrial engine business. At that time, the company had already fielded the...

Perkins opens Brazilian engine plant: Curitiba to build 1100 series diesels for Mercosur markets; first Perkins-owned facility outside the U.K.(industry news)
January 1, 2004... As a bricks and mortar example of the portability of engine manufacturing, Perkins Engines has dedicated a new production facility in Curitiba, Brazil. The official opening of Curitiba marks the first Perkins-owned engine production facility...

Bobcat on fast track with new compact excavators.(construction equipment)
January 1, 2004... Continuing the development of its compact equipment lineup, Bobcat Co. has unveiled a new range of zero house swing (ZHS) compact excavators. The ZHS series machines, which were introduced at the International Construction and Utility Equipment...

Multiquip's new Night Hawk light towers.(utility equipment)
January 1, 2004... Multiquip has added a pair of new light towers to the lighter duty side of its product range. The LT-12D and LT-12P towers are the newest additions to the line and are targeted at lighting applications for municipalities, government agencies,...

Switches and controls catalog.(literature library)
January 1, 2004... Carling Technologies has published a catalog highlighting the company's switches and controls. Information on the company's rocker, toggle, pushbutton, rotary and sealed switches is provided as well as the features of its dimmer, mirror rotate...

Industrial driveshafts.(literature library)(Dana Corp.)
January 1, 2004... Dana has published literature detailing the company's line of Spicer Life series driveshafts. Features of the driveshafts include reduced maintenance, increased torque capacity, larger diameter slip member and more. The literature includes...

JCB goes smaller in a big way.(construction equipment)
January 1, 2004... Taking advantage of the growing popularity of smaller machines in North America, JCB has unveiled a range of new compact equipment, including two small Micro miniexcavators and a tracked dumpster. The new Micro excavators, which debuted at the...

Changes at Cat: Owens to succeed Barton as chairman/CEO: two new group presidents, three VPs named; Haefeli replaces Baunton at Perkins.(industry news)
January 1, 2004... Caterpillar Inc. selected James W. Owens to be the next chairman and CEO of the Peoria, Ill., manufacturer. Owens will replace Glen A. Barton, who will retire Jan. 31, 2004, after nearly 43 years with Caterpillar and five years as chairman and...

New E-series crane from Grove.(lift equipment)(Grove Worldwide L.L.C.)
January 1, 2004... Grove Worldwide, a subsidiary of the Manitowoc Crane Group, has introduced its newest generation E-series crane for rental applications. The RT890E rough terrain crane is intended to replace the RT875C and RT875BXL cranes for use in oil...

Takeuchi's third generation track loaders.(utility equipment)
January 1, 2004... Takeuchi U.S., Buford, Ga., has expanded its line of track loaders with the introduction of the TL140 rubber track loader. The new TL140 track loader compliments Takeuchi's current track loader series by providing a midsized loader between its...

AGCO's now in the engine business: acquisition of Valtra tractors brings Sisu Diesel into the fold; not all AGCO models to be powered by Sisu.(industry news)
January 1, 2004... Another OEM going into the engine business? Following on the heels of SAME-Deutz, JCB's engine announcement, rumors of Terex looking at Daewoo's diesel engines and DaimlerChrysler's vertical integration announcement, AGCO Corp., one of the...

Compact track loaders lift off.(trendlines)
January 1, 2004... It's been some time since we looked at compact track loaders, but this is one machine segment that has caught fire in recent years. Sales are soaring and manufacturers of these machines had a fantastic year in 2003, with industry sales reaching...

Pumping up its business: White Hydraulics unveils first-ever hydraulic pump line; teams with motor for complete drive system.(mobile hydraulics)
January 1, 2004... For the greater part of its nearly 30 years as an independent manufacturer, the sum total of White Hydraulics Inc.'s activities could essentially be boiled down to four words: gerotor-style hydraulic motors. The company was a pioneer in the...

Kohler expands top end of Aegis engine line.(gasoline engines)
January 1, 2004... Kohler Co., has expanded the top end of its premium Aegis quid-cooled engine line. The two newest horizontal-shaft models, the LH750 and LH760, are rated 27 and 29 hp at 3600 rpm and are scheduled to begin production this year at the company's...

Deere announces Tier 3 off-highway ratings.(industry news)(John Deere Power Systems)
January 1, 2004... John Deere Power Systems (JDPS), has announced power ratings for its PowerTech diesel engine lineup, which the Waterloo, Iowa-based group said will meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and European Union (EU) standards for Tier 3/Stage...

Zenith receives CARB certification for Nissan engines.(industry news)(Zenith Power Products L.L.C.)
January 1, 2004... As the LSI (large spark-ignited) engine and equipment markets closed in on its January 1, 2004, Tier 2 emissions regulations, Zenith Power Products LLC announced it has received Executive Orders from the Air Resources Board of the California...

Rental power bridges the Gulf.(rental)(Gulf of Mexico)(Welch Generator Co.)
January 1, 2004... In almost every way, the Gulf of Mexico is a desolate and unforgiving Place. There is no power grid serving the 700,000 sq.mi, of water. Yet that's where Lee Welch and his generator and equipment rental company makes its mark. "We serve...

IMPCO Technologies said it has been granted emission approval for the General Motors 1.6 L industrial engine for off-highway mobile use beginning in 2004.(Emissions & alternatives: covering fuel cells and other emerging and alternative technologies.)
January 1, 2004... IMPCO Technologies said it has been glinted emission approval for the General Motors 1.6 L industrial engine for off-highway mobile use beginning in 2004. The CARB Executive Order and the EPA approval states that the General Motors 1.6 L engine...

Engelhard Corp.(Emissions & alternatives: covering fuel cells and other emerging and alternative technologies.)
January 1, 2004... Engelhard Corp. has broken ground for a new plant in The People's Republic of China that will triple the company's capacity to produce emission catalysts for that country's burgeoning automotive industry. The new manufacturing facility...

Parker Hannifin and Vectrix Corp., a developer of zero-emission vehicle platform technologies, have unveiled a prototype of the first fuel cell/electric hybrid scooter.(Emissions & alternatives: covering fuel cells and other emerging and alternative technologies.)
January 1, 2004... Parker Hannifin and Vectrix Corp., a developer of zero emission vehicle platform technologies, have unveiled a prototype of the first fuel cell/electric hybrid scooter. A consortium of suppliers headed by Parker and Vectrix plan to...

Upward and outward: Genie re-engineers telescopic booms.(lift equipment)(Genie Industries)
January 1, 2004... Genie Industries has re-engineered its smallest telescopic booms, the S-40 and S-45. The machines' propulsion systems and controls were both redesigned to provide smoother operation and easier positioning during maintenance work and at...

Yoshihiko Tabata.(newsmakers)(Kubota Corp.)
January 1, 2004... Yoshihiko Tabata--to general manager of Kubota Corp.'s Engine Division. Tabata joined Kubota in 1976 and served as president of Kubota (U.K.) Ltd. from 1987 to 1994.

Mack CEO joins Volvo Executive Committee.(newsmakers)(Paul L. Vikner)
January 1, 2004... Volvo announced that Paul L. Vikner, who has served since July 2001 as president and CEO of Mack Trucks Inc., will become a member of Volvo's Group Executive Committee (GEC) effective Jan. 1, reporting to Leif Johansson, President and CEO of...

Navistar's Ustian elected chairman.(newsmakers)(Daniel C. Ustian, Navistar International Corp.)
January 1, 2004... Navistar International has elected Daniel C. Ustian, president and CEO, to board chairman, effective Feb. 17, 2004. He will succeed John R. Horne who will be retiring after serving as chairman since April 1996. Ustian was elected president in...

Paul W. Spotts.(newsmakers)(Denison Hydraulics Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Paul W. Spotts--to North American product & direct sales manager at Denison Hydraulics, responsible for establishing marketing plans and pricing strategies. He had previously been the company's Midwest regional sales manager.

Lee J. Grant--to assistant vice president of the Fuels And Lubricants Research Division at Southwest Research Institute.(newsmakers)
January 1, 2004... Lee J. Grant--to assistant vice president of the Fuels And Lubricants Research Division at Southwest Research Institute. Also at Southwest: Steven D. Marty and Benjamin O. Weber--to directors of the institute's Fuels And Lubricants Research...

John E. Valek.(newsmakers)(RB Royal Industries Inc.)
January 1, 2004... John E. Valek--to chief operating officer at RB Royal Industries Inc., a designer and manufacturer of custom tubing and hose assemblies for fluid transfer and systems integration applications, Valek will also continue to perform his duties as...

IVECO establishes North American engine operation: new group targets engine sales, imported equipment support; full Iveco range of diesel and CNG engines.(industry news)
January 1, 2004... Italy's Iveco SpA has established an independent engine operation covering the United States and Canada. Iveco Motors of North America officially begins operation this month in Carol Stream, Ill., following the redefinition of a North American...

Control Indicator Module.(products)(from Electroswitch Corp.)
January 1, 2004... Electroswitch has designed a Control Indicator Module (CIM) that contains SCADA interface for remote control and monitoring of power circuit breakers and reclosers. Switches on the unit's front panel permit manual control when needed and the...

Screws and Fasteners.(products)
January 1, 2004... Leland Powell Fasteners has designed GripLite screws for thin sheet metal applications to provide tight assembly with increased strip-out torque, improving joint strength. A radius point adds safety by eliminating sharp points and prevents the...

Natural Gas Engine Oils.(products)(D-A Lubricant Company Inc.)
January 1, 2004... D-A Lubricant Co. has announced the addition of Blue Flame GEO to its line of natural gas engine oils. Blue Flame GEO is designed for use with ecologically responsible medium and high speed (rpm) natural gas engines in the transportation...

Gear lubricants.(products)(Shell Lubricants Company Ltd.)
January 1, 2004... Shell Lubricants has extended its line of heavy-duty lubricants with the introduction of SPIRAX EW Extended Warranty SAE 75W-90 and 80W-140 gear oils. SPIRAX EW gear oils are approved for 500,000 mile extended drain intervals for both Dana...

CNG fuel level indicator.(products)
January 1, 2004... Energy Kinetics Inc. is offering its EK-115 as a device that can reliably indicate the level of compressed natural gas fuel left in the tanks, using the existing fuel gauge cluster. The unit is designed as a retro-fit indicating system for CNG...

Data cable.(products)(Northwire Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Northwire Inc.'s DataCell 1939 SAE CAN bus data cable exceeds the SAE J-1939/11 physical and functional specification, the company said. DataCell features controlled impedance and a high velocity of propagation at 78 percent. The cable is...

Hydraulic cartridge valves.(literature library)(HydraForce Inc.)
January 1, 2004... HydraForce has published literature on the company's hydraulic cartridge valves and electrohydraulic control systems. The literature features detailed information on solenoid, electroproportional, directional, flow control and pressure valves....

Electronic engine data.(literature library)(Murphy)
January 1, 2004... Literature is available from Murphy on its Powerview System designed to transfer information from an engine's electronic control unit into a plain text format. The unit features a LCD graphical display as well as a choice in bezel designs and...

Power solutions.(literature library)(Kohler Power Systems)
January 1, 2004... Kohler Power Systems has published an in-depth brochure highlighting the company's performance capabilities in the power industry. Details on gas, diesel and residential generators are included as well as controls, switches and optional...

Water-cooled diesel engines.(literature library)
January 1, 2004... A technical brochure describing its new line of water-cooled 400 series compact diesel engines is available from Perkins. Features of the 400 series include low cost, reliability, compact package size, quiet operation and a wide range of...

New TC Tronic transmission for extreme heavy-duty vehicles.(powertrain)
January 1, 2004... ZF Industries Inc., a part of the North American operations of Germany's ZF Friedrichshafen AG, announced that the new TC Tronic transmission is available in the U.S. First presented in concept in 2001, the new unit, which is designed for heavy...

Woodward has announced that Bay-San Co. Inc. has been appointed as a manufacturing representative for the power generation market.(powerlines)(Bay-San Co. Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Woodward has announced that Bay-San Co. Inc. has been appointed as a manufacturing representative for the power generation market. Based in Waukesha, Wis., Bay-San will be representing Woodward products and engineered solutions (including...

Hagglunds Drives (Canada) Inc., a unit of Hagglunds Drives Inc. North America, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has announced the opening of its new Canadian headquarters located at 5040 Mainway, Unit #7, Burlington, Ontario.(powerlines)
January 1, 2004... Hagglunds Drives (Canada) Inc., a unit of Hagglunds Drives Inc. North America, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, has announced the opening of its new Canadian headquarters located at 5040 Mainway, Unit #7, Burlington, Ontario. The new facility...

Davidson Sales Co.(powerlines)(Young-Touchstone)
January 1, 2004... Davidson Sales Co., Daytona Beach, Fla., has been named exclusive manufacturers' representative for heat exchange system manufacturer Young-Touchstone covering Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina. Davidson provides a...

Dana Corp.(powerlines)
January 1, 2004... Dana Corp.'s Commercial Vehicle Systems Division announced that it has been selected as the standard and preferred axle and brake supplier for Workhorse Custom Chassis LLC, a subsidiary of Grand Vehicle Works Holdings Corp. Dana will supply...

Cummins Inc.(powerlines)
January 1, 2004... Cummins Inc. said that its ISB engine will be available in Thomas Built Saf-T-Liner EF school buses beginning this month. The ISB will be available in ratings from 215 to 230 hp.

Same size, more power from newest Vermeer rockwheel trencher.(utility equipment)
January 1, 2004... Pella, Iowa-based Vermeer Manufacturing Co. has introduced the latest addition to its trenching product line, the T555 Commander II rockwheel trencher. The Commander II trencher, typically used in utility installation and custom stone cutting,...

Parker Hannifin Corp.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... Parker Hannifin Corp. has agreed to buy hydraulics manufacturer Denison International PLC for about $239 million. When the deal doses, probably in the first three months of 2004, Parker Hannifin will also get Denison's $56.2 million in cash on...

Terex Corp. said it has ended talks with Caterpillar Inc. about their mining equipment businesses because the two could not agree on financial terms.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... Terex Corp. said it has ended talks with Caterpillar Inc. about their mining equipment businesses because the two could not agree on financial terms. On July 1, the two companies had announced a nonbinding agreement in principle for Caterpillar...

The Manitowoc Crane Group Inc. announced an agreement with Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Tokyo, Japan, under which Kobelco will supply Manitowoc with a range of lattice-boom crawler cranes with lift capacities under 150 tons.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... The Manitowoc Crane Group Inc. announced an agreement with Kobelco Construction Machinery Co., Tokyo, Japan, under which Kobelco will supply Manitowoc with a range of lattice-boom crawler cranes with lift capacities under 150 tons. These...

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems LP.(business notes)(DaimlerChrysler AG)(United States. Army)
January 1, 2004... Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems LP (TVS), Houston, Tex., a manufacturer of medium tactical vehicles for the U.S. Army, said it has entered into an agreement with DaimlerChrysler, which gives TVS the exclusive right to market the...

Marathon Electric.(business notes)(L.E. Inc.)
January 1, 2004... Marathon Electric said it has reached a collaboration agreement with LE Inc. to represent LE's new variable speed generator for the electrical power generation markets. LE has developed a patented generator (see November 2003, Diesel Progress)...

Parker Hannifin Corp. and Hunter Manufacturing Co. have jointly announced that Parker has acquired Hunter's Webb Enterprises Inc., for an undisclosed amount.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... Parker Hannifin Corp. and Hunter Manufacturing Co. have jointly announced that Parker has acquired Hunter's Webb Enterprises Inc., for an undisclosed amount. Webb, West Fargo, N.D., has annual revenues of approximately $1.5 million and produces...

Caterpillar Inc. and ZTR Technologies, Minneapolis, Minn., have announced a joint venture to provide 24/7 system monitoring and management for the electrical power generation and oil and gas engine markets.(business notes)(PointGuard L.L.C.)
January 1, 2004... Caterpillar Inc. and ZTR Technologies, Minneapolis, Minn., have announced a joint venture to provide 24/7 system monitoring and management for the electrical power generation and oil and gas engine markets. The venture, PointGuard LLC, based in...

Deere & Co. said that Nortrax Inc. has sold its operations in Michigan to JDE Equipment Co.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... Deere & Co. said that Nortrax Inc. has sold its operations in Michigan to JDE Equipment Co. The sale of the Michigan operations supports part of Deere's initial vision for Nortrax--to acquire and improve troubled dealerships and then...

Volvo Penta of the Americas Inc.(business notes)
January 1, 2004... Volvo Penta of the Americas Inc. has announced two new distributors for Volvo Penta Industrial Diesels: Lake Charles Diesel, Lake Charles, La., covering Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas; and Engine and Electric Co., blanch Dominguez, Calif.,...