S TAT E O F T H E I N D U S T RY
READ THE FULL INTERVIEW ONLINE AT oemoffhighway.com/21173647
Immense Potential and Opportunity Exists for Advanced Technology Developments
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responses submitted by Brian Kreifels, Vice President OEM Sales North America (left) and Jeff Hemphill, Chief Technical Officer, Schaeffler
Evolving markets and technologies will offer great potential for those able to capitalize on developing the right solutions. Diesel, Electric & Other Power Alternatives What opportunities for technology and efficiency advancements still exist with diesel engines? BK: There continue to be many opportunities for improving the efficiency of diesel engines, especially with regard to minimizing friction and thermal losses. To that end, there are a number of technologies—such as next-generation rolling element bearings from our INA and FAG product brands, low-friction coating solutions as well as waste-heat recovery—that have yet to be fully explored. Additional engine efficiencies can be realized through the use of variable valve actuation strategies (e.g., valve deactivation, cam profile switching, variable cam timing, etc.) as well as active, controlled management of the engine and vehicle systems’ cooling circuits. Moreover, there are numerous opportunities to reduce emissions “in-cylinder” that can mitigate or even eliminate the need for external aftertreatment devices—such as particulate filters and selective catalytic reduction (SCR)—while still achieving increasingly stringent overall emissions mandates. Indeed, many of the variable valvetrain technologies mentioned above can also be used to achieve improved in-cylinder emissions.
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How does your company see alternative fuels playing a role in the heavy equipment industry in the coming years? JH: As fuel cost is always a major percentage of operating cost and pressure to reduce emissions is always rising, alternative fuels are constantly being analyzed by the industry. CNG is a popular option since fracking has dramatically lowered the cost but, so far, the savings have not justified changing over the jobsite fueling infrastructure. Currently, hydrogen is a rising star with several fuel cell offerings but this also faces infrastructure challenges. Biofuels are interesting from a CO2 perspective but face cost challenges. As an engine systems manufacturer, we are relatively unaffected by the choice of fuel from a direct perspective. Of course, the use of alternative fuels can impact engine operating conditions or lubrication, which are factors that have an indirect influence on our systems. In such cases, we may consider optimizing the materials, utilizing special heat treatments, and/or employing any of our proprietary coating solutions to ensure that we are providing a robust solution for the given tribological conditions. We are also enabling fuel cells with our coated bipolar plates. Overall, we have some money on every horse and look forward to seeing how it works out.
Challenges & Opportunities Are there any technologies or trends which you are currently excited about, or most looking forward to seeing in the coming years? BK: The industry-wide interest in exploring the potential benefits of electrification has been a fantastic opportunity to be an active part of shaping future product generations. It is especially gratifying when we can jointly discuss the benefits and tradeoffs of our many new solutions such as e-motors and hybrid modules for electrified drivelines or electromechanical actuators. This dialogue enables us to understand where our solutions are in accord with our customers’ future technology roadmaps, just as it allows us to uncover opportunities to further align with their needs. All of which makes this a unique and exciting time: Suppliers and OEMs are actually able to work together as partners to develop these emerging technologies – as opposed to the more traditional scenario wherein the OEM simply integrates a supplier’s established technology in its product. At the same time, there are many exciting opportunities to optimize existing non-electrified machine designs, as these will certainly remain in use for the foreseeable future. This is an ideal time to work in the heavy-duty vehicle industry. As regulations, markets and technologies continue to change and evolve, there is enormous potential and opportunity for those innovators who can read these trends and capitalize on them by developing the right solutions. |
OEM Off-Highway | OCTOBER 2020
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