Cummins at the TMC meeting

[kscarbel2]

Cummins to Offer Engine Maintenance Notifications

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  February 27, 2017

Cummins Engine made it clear Monday night at the opening session of the Technology & Maintenance Council’s Annual Meeting that it is investing heavily in expanded telematics offerings for the North American trucking industry. At a press conference on the TMC show floor, the company announced its new Connected Advisor telematics system, which allows customers to receive information analyzed by engine experts at Cummins, who then report on both critical and noncritical issues, making it easier for fleet managers to make service decisions about the vehicles in their fleets.

The system is designed to isolate and interpret key engine and aftertreatment data every day, and provide Cummins Engine customers with prioritized, time-based recommendations to distinguish between immediate repair needs and those that can be scheduled a few days out. Fault reports, including probable causes and recommended actions, are sent to fleet managers daily to help initiate the repair process. For faults requiring prompt attention, immediate notification reports are provided to alert a fleet manager. 

“A differentiating feature of our Connected Advisor product is the estimated time-to-failure provided for each issue identified," explained Lori Cobb, vice president, Connected Solutions. "With a time frame in mind, customers can proactively manage the issue before it becomes a failure or causes an interruption in the vehicle’s operations.”

Cobb said Cummins Connected Diagnostics customers can choose to enhance their remote monitoring capabilities by purchasing the Connected Advisor product. Connected Advisor provides an additional level of support in interpreting engine issues and improving  efficiency with time-to-service recommendations.

Additionally, Cobb said Cummins has introduced Connected Software Updates, delivering secure over-the-air programming through a telematics service provider. Through the Cummins Connected Solutions portal, fleet managers are notified of software updates available to engines in their fleet. This enables fleet managers to upgrade an individual engine or all eligible engines, or they can choose to pre-approve updates automatically.

In other telematics news, Cummins announced it is launching a new mobile app that uses advanced algorithms and cloud computing technology to improve the service experience of its customers. The new Guidanz app allows customers to quickly read Cummins fault codes and other key information on 2007 and newer engines, reducing the need to drive to a certified service location or wait for a technician to arrive on site.

Cummins customers can view prioritized engine faults using the Guidanz mobile app paired with an Inline mini Bluetooth adapter, which provides critical information they can quickly share with their operations manager or service provider. By emailing the operations manager directly from the app or calling Cummins Care, the service process is initiated more quickly and easily. The app also links customers to an online service locator, helping them identify the closest certified repair location. Even when offline, Guidanz can provide a list of engine faults to the customer.

A Bluetooth-enabled nine-pin connector that plugs directly into the standard SAE J1939-13 interface allows users to quickly retrieve engine information with a Bluetooth-equipped iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.

The Guidanz mobile app will be available in April on iOS or Android as a free download at the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. The Inline mini and the Immediate Assessment feature are available through Cummins-authorized channels.

[kscarbel2]

Cummins Extends Oil Drain Intervals to 80,000 Miles

Heavy Duty Trucking  /  February 28, 2017

Cummins says X15 Efficiency Series and X15 Performance Series engine owners can extend their oil drain intervals up to 80,000 miles using the free Cummins OilGuard program, which uses engine performance data and oil analysis to safely optimize oil drain intervals.

For years, recommended oil drain intervals have been based on a set distance and/or time period. The Cummins OilGuard program allows participating truck owners to safely extend oil change intervals while keeping full warranty coverage for their Cummins engine.

"With oil changes routinely costing $350 or more for the oil, oil filter, labor and disposal costs – and a typical over-the-road trucker performing two to three oil changes per year – we see the potential to significantly reduce costs and downtime, with some customers needing an oil change only once a year," said Mark Ulrich, director of customer support, "Most importantly, you get an optimized oil change interval while preserving your warranty coverage, and at no risk to engine component durability or resale value."

It starts with a selection of test vehicles and a monitoring program with regular submission of engine data and oil samples for analysis, covering a minimum of two oil change intervals. For example, fleets desiring an 80,000-mile oil change interval will be required to submit samples every 10,000 miles.

Full warranty coverage will continue throughout the testing/analysis period. Once the results are received, Cummins will present the findings, identifying the vehicles and duty cycles eligible for a longer oil-drain interval. The optimized drain interval will then become the required maintenance for warranty coverage. Periodic follow-up testing may be requested by Cummins for verification that no changes in operation or maintenance practices have taken place that might impact the approved oil drain interval.

Use of a Cummins-approved CK-4 or FA-4 engine oil is required in order to qualify. Cummins recommends the use of Valvoline Premium Blue engine oils, which are already approved by Cummins for 60,000-mile oil drain intervals in 2017 Cummins X15 engines. That's a 10,000 mile extension compared to other CK-4 engine oils.

Cummins will provide sample kits, prepaid mailers and the oil analysis free of charge to every customer participating in the program. The Cummins OilGuard program is currently available for 2017 and newer X15 engines; however, Cummins said it could be extended to other engines in the near future.

[kscarbel2]

Cummins X15 Efficiency Wins TWNA Technical Achievement Award

The Cummins X15 Efficiency Series diesel has won the Truck Writers of North America’s 2016 Technical Achievement Award.

The award was presented during an awards luncheon at the American Trucking Associations Technology & Maintenance Council’s annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn.

Cummins redesigned its ISX15 to meet 2017 federal greenhouse gas and fuel economy requirements and introduced two models called X15 Performance and X15 Efficiency. The Efficiency version employs an Atkinson Cycle in its valve action that adds fuel efficiency important to fleet managers, said John Baxter, a freelance technical writer, former mechanic, and a member of the TWNA panel. That caught the attention of his colleagues in the voting.

“The engine won for its advanced combustion design that includes a little-used Atkinson Cycle*, and other features,” explained Jim Park, chairman of the TWNA awards committee and Heavy Duty Trucking equipment editor.  “It beat out four other finalists who had previously topped a pool of 15 candidates for the award. A panel of industry journalists from Canada and the U.S. debated and voted over a period of several weeks.”

*  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atkinson_cycle

The 14.9-liter diesel gains 3% in fuel efficiency over the preceding model, the ISX15, through improvements to air-handling, combustion efficiency, reduced parasitic losses and advanced electronics, according to Tim Proctor, Cummins X15 engine system technical leader. Maintenance should cost 40% less than previous engines over five years.

“The engine’s valve events are modified so that compression is slightly limited, allowing for greater-than-normal expansion during the power stroke that follows,” Baxter explained. “That means that the gases expand to 20 times their volume at the pistons’ top center by the time they are released, as opposed to standard expansion factors in the range of 15-17 to 1. Allowing the burning gases more room to expand captures energy that is normally thrown away when the exhaust valve opens.”

Baxter continued, “The engine also features a new piston design that conducts heat more effectively away from the combustion bowl and into the cooling system. This takes considerable heat stress off the oil, allowing longer change intervals, and allows use of a smaller oil pump, reducing the parasitic loss associated with driving it. We congratulate Cummins on the originality of their re-design of the X15.”

The other four finalists were:

• Accuride EverSteel wheel with a special anti-corrosion treatment

• Volvo and Mack “wave” piston, part of engine upgrades to comply with new GHG regulations

• SAF-Holland P89 disc brake, a high-performance, lightweight and moderate-cost braking product

• Volvo iSee and Mack Predictive cruise control, which “learns” routes and operates a truck’s powertrain to gain maximum efficiency

TWNA first presented the Technical Achievement Award in 1991 to Grote Industries for its red LED marker lamp and has since honored companies large and small for their products and services. Founded in 1988, TWNA is a professional organization composed of writers, editors, public relations specialists, marketing personnel and others involved in the business of creating or producing information related to the world of trucking.

“Cummins is honored to receive the Technical Achievement Award for our 2017 X15 Efficiency series, and it is especially relevant to us that this recognition comes from truck industry writers, many of whom have experienced the enhanced driveability and responsive performance of the X15 engine first hand,” said Proctor.

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[james j neiweem]

That would look good in a Mack heavy haul CHN or Granite. Scania V8 would be even better.

Edited March 2, 2017 by james j neiweem