Schaeffler: Brian Kreifels, Vice President OEM Sales North

Immense Potential

and Opportunity

Exists for Advanced responses submitted by Brian Kreifels, Vice President OEM Sales North America (left) and Jeff Hemphill, Chief Technical Offi cer, Schaeffl er Technology Developments Challenges & Opportunities Are there any technologies or trends which you are currently excited about, Evolving markets and technologies will off er great potential or most looking forward to seeing in the coming years?

for those able to capitalize on developing the right solutions. BK: The industry-wide interest in

Diesel, Electric & Other Power Alternatives What opportunities for technology and effi ciency advancements still exist with diesel engines?

BK: There continue to be many opportunities for improving the effi ciency 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 effi ciencies can be realized through the use of variable valve actuation strategies (e.g., valve deactivation, cam profi le 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 fi lters 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.

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 justifi ed changing over the jobsite fueling infrastructure. Currently, hydrogen is a rising star with several fuel cell off erings but this also faces infrastructure challenges. Biofuels are interesting from a CO 2 perspective but face cost challenges. As an engine systems manufacturer, we are relatively unaff ected 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 infl uence 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. exploring the potential benefi ts of electrifi cation 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 benefi ts and tradeoff s of our many new solutions such as e-motors and hybrid modules for electrifi ed 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-electrifi ed 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. |

Diesel Will Become Cleaner and More Effi cient

Major improvements in the performance and effi ciency of diesel-powered systems will continue to be developed.

Impacts of COVID-19 What, if any, long-lasting eff ects do you think the pandemic could have on the industry?

Business-to-business interactions may never fully return to how they were pre-COVID. I think many companies have quickly grown comfortable and effi cient leveraging online tools for daily interactions. This by no means devalues the face-to-face aspect of building relationships, however it makes everyone look at travel more critically moving forward.

How do you foresee the industry coming through this?

Slow and steady. 2020 pre-COVID was expected to be down from 2018/2019 highs and COVID amplifi ed that demand weakening. Looking forward in time we expect the market to steadily climb back up through at least the 2023 time frame. Regional ebbs and fl ows are to be expected due to normal, non-COVID dynamics but overall a steady climb.

Diesel, Electric & Other Power Alternatives What opportunities for technology and effi ciency advancements still exist with diesel engines?

A consistent message we convey is that we see diesel being around for many years to come, we also expect it to become cleaner and more effi cient. Diesel also meets specifi c power requirements for customer needs that current alternate technologies are not able to competitively meet. Power density increases should continue to be expected out of diesel, just look back at EPA Tier 3 product output by displacement compared to our latest Performance Series engines today.

Major improvements have been made and there is no reason to expect engineering to slow down now. Emissions reduction is still possible with technologies coming from the on-highway sector focused on reducing NOx output and other constituents. Effi ciency gains will be realized through downsizing opportunities, smarter powertrain integration, wider adoption of features like Start/Stop, etc. Diesel still has a long runway and many exciting future advancements should be expected.

How does your company see alternative fuels playing a role in the heavy equipment industry in the coming years?

At this point, our on- and off -highway engines meet and exceed the very latest regulations and can be used in the ultra-low emissions zones such as London. There is a real impetus to have low emission areas in ports and inner-city areas that will drive the need for more alternate power and is why Cummins is investing in a wide range of new power solutions to be ready for this.

Cummins’ strategy is to understand all emerging power sources in the future and off er the most appropriate one for each customer and machine. In addition to advanced diesel technolo

responses submitted by Eric Neal, Executive Director, Cummins Off - Highway Business

gy and various forms of electric power, we are exploring other power sources such as fuel cells, gasoline, natural gas and other technologies.

It is our expectation that adoption of alternate power will be a slow ramp rate with electrifi cation of compact equipment probably the nearest term. There is no doubt a lot of excitement in the industry for technology like electrifi ed power, and will continue to be, it’s just a matter of keeping a pulse on the drivers that will pull the technology mainstream.

Challenges & Opportunities What are the biggest challenges facing the industry currently, or do you see the industry facing in the coming years?

A key challenge is the changing emissions landscape around the world. Traditionally lagging countries such as China and India will make huge leaps to European/U.S. level technologies. This will introduce new technologies into areas which have not experienced things like aftertreatment systems in the construction space before. Cummins has signifi cant global experience to support our customers through this.

Are there technologies or trends you are currently excited about?

The answer is many. Alternate power absolutely is exciting, and we are building our portfolio at a rapid pace. Diesel continues to be exciting, with so many potential levers to pull. There are more big things to come for internal combustion. Finally, digital connected solutions tools provide real opportunity to impact the end-user experience and help our OEM partners. |

Curtis Instruments

Your Electrification Partner

For the electrification of construction equipment or mobile machinery, think Curtis. With over 60 years of electric vehicle expertise and a global record of innovation and product excellence, we are ready to partner with you in every stage of electrification with hybrid diesel-electric and fully electric solutions. Curtis will support your engineering team at every step in the product development, from initial prototype design through to production release. Our inverters/motor speed controllers and electric control systems set the standard for electric power at 48V and beyond. Highly reliable Curtis components are available in a range of models suitable for every type of application. Our sophisticated electric drive systems are packed with cutting edge features and functions that make vehicle design simple. We will work with you as needed, whether it is to assist with the design and development of electric traction systems, On-Engine Generator Control or to assist with the design of the complete control system for all mobile application types, including complex electro-hydraulic control systems. Curtis has partnered with leading manufacturers of batteries and electric motors to help OEMs design new electric powered dumpers, mini excavators and wheeled loaders. All benefit from proven Curtis 48V technology and the robust, reliable and sustained performance that was previously assumed to be confined to diesel engines.

See for yourself. We are ready to help you.

www.curtisinstruments.com