ICRA A1+ rating for VECV debt programme

ICRA has assigned A1+ rating to the Rs. 800 million non fund-based limits of VE Commercial Vehicles (VECV). ICRA has also assigned A1+ rating to the Rs. 1,200 million short-term debt/commercial paper programme of VECV. A1 is the highest credit quality rating assigned by ICRA to short-term debt instruments. The rated instrument carries lowest credit risk in the short term. Within this category, certain instruments are assigned the rating of A1+ to reflect their relatively stronger credit quality.

The rating favorably considers the partnership between AB Volvo, ranked No.2 in the global commercial vehicle (CV) market, and Eicher Motors Ltd., an established player in the medium commercial vehicle market in India.

ICRA expects VECV to benefit from the access to a global distribution network, strong technical skills and strong financial profile of AB Volvo, besides benefits of EML’s established brand image and products in the domestic CV market, widespread sales and distribution network in India and understanding of the Indian CV customers and dynamics related to the Indian road transportation industry.

The rating also derives comfort from the favorable cash position of the company on account of large funds infused by the foreign partner. The rating factors in the intensifying competition in the CV industry, sharp decline in the industry volumes, weak demand expectations over the short term and increased cost pressures.

However, the company’s strong financial risk profile characterized by the net cash position and low working capital requirements partially offsets the concerns. The rating also factors in relatively small contribution of revenues from engineering services that currently has weak profitability given it is still in gestation period, besides the small contribution from gears business that is currently operating at breakeven levels.

As per provisional results, VECV’s net sales stood at Rs. 9,850 million during the first six months ended December 2008 and profit after tax at Rs. 165.5 million.

Ashok Leyland Six-Poster receives NABL accreditation

The six-poster road simulation laboratory of Ashok Leyland has received the NABL accreditation for mechanical testing in line with ISO / IEC 17025, an international standard. The accreditation, valid worldwide, acknowledges both quality management covered by the TS 16949 certification and technical competence.

The six-poster, the only one of its kind in the country, can test multi-axle vehicles of up to 60-tonne gross vehicle weight, both in loaded and unladen conditions, vehicles that are in a non-driveable condition and prototypes. It reduces testing time by a factor of six on existing proving grounds, and vehicles can be tested on different road surfaces like torture tracks and a variety of road profiles like highways, mines and ghat sections. The six-poster is equipped to replicate all conceivable road surfaces from anywhere in the world. Test conditions can be repeated and the testing process is not dependent on the elements.

Ashok Leyland has had a long tradition of technological leadership, and in recent years investments in R&D have been on the rise. The R&D spend for 2007-08 was 2.3 per cent of turnover. The six-poster, along with a host of other very advanced facilities like the component test lab using electro hydraulic actuators, resides at the company’s state-of-the-art Technical Centre situated at Vellivoyalchavadi, on the outskirts of Chennai.

Growing vehicle population and road accidents

By S.R. Venkatesan, Consultant

Safety on Indian roads is a most critical issue. With the growing vehicle population and expanding traffic on Indian roads, the issue, which has assumed serious proportions of late, needs to be addressed on a war footing. Almost 10-12 precious lives are being lost every hour on Indian roads leading to great social cost, besides mental agony and trauma for the close relatives of the victims.

With the ongoing globalisation, India is fast emerging an economic superpower, and despite the present challenges in terms of rise in inflation caused by shooting fuel prices, the long-term road map looks promising. Mobility is basic for growth on sustainable basis, and with expanding economic activity, there is greater need for stepping up goods and passenger transport facilities.

A commercial vehicle owner / operator is always keen on minimising operational costs and maximising revenues. Almost 75 per cent of goods and 85 per cent of passengers are being moved by road. This throws up the biggest challenge in terms of safety and security as well as CO2 emission, air pollution and fuel shortage.

India has joined WP-29, the world forum for vehicle regulations harmonisation. This will make it necessary for the country to adhere to global safety and emission standards. This will also lead to local manufacturers adopting global standards and introducting advanced technological features as well as help in seamless integration of international regulations.

There are an estimated 90 million vehicles in India, of which 5 millions are commercial vehicles. For a very long time, Indian roads were ruled mostly by 2-axle: 4x2 trucks being manufactured and supplied by the leading CV majors, Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. In the 1970s, Ashok Leyland introduced a range of multi-axle rigid truck and tractor-trailer models, Beaver / Hippo / Taurus, which were quite popular on Indian roads when it came to higher gross weight operations and ODC movements in India.

Demand for multi-axle trucks and articulated vehicles has been on the increase in the last five years. However, higher gross weight vehicles, increased mobility and higher vehicle speed have resulted in a large number of road accidents and fatalities.

More than 12 lakh persons die every year in road accidents worldwide. In India, the number of fatalities has crossed an alarming level of 1,00,000 per year. A detailed analysis cites several reasons for the growing road accidents in India. With almost 70 per cent of vehicular population being two-wheelers, it creates a non-homogenous mix of vehicles affecting smooth traffic flow. The large number of rail level crossings and the use of old vehicles are a major hindrance, besides road user’s behaviour, poor safety awareness among pedestrians, cyclists and two-wheeler drivers who are most vulnerable to accidents on Indian roads. Overspeeding, wrong overtaking and drunken driving, besides excessive truck and bus driver fatigue, add to the woes.

The Government and all stakeholders like vehicle manufacturers and automobile associations and institutions have been constantly addressing the issue of road accidents and fatalities and working out remedial measures. One of the recent initiatives in this direction was the setting up of the National Safety Board. Driver training, better traffic management, good roads, a road map for vehicular technologies, safety awareness campaigns, trauma care centres, etc., are some of the other initiatives taken to check the accident rate.

Swedish safety measures

Sweden has a long tradition of vehicle driving safety. The Swedish motor vehicle industry has achieved a world leading status in safety with the enforcement of strict road safety rules and adoption of high vehicle technologies. The guiding principle behind everything made at Volvo is safety.

According to Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, founders of Volvo, technological features related to safety have two components: active safety and passive safety. ‘Active’ in simple term means all those features on vehicles which provide safety and minimise injury before the accident. ‘Passive’ refers to all those design features which provide survival space and minimise injuries after the accident.

Many firsts related to passive safety from Sweden are three-point seat belt (Volvo-1958), seatbelts as standard feature (Saab-1962), side impact protection (Saab, 1972), airbags for trucks (Volvo, 1994), world’s first side impact air bags (Volvo/Autoliv, 1995), front underrun protection system, (Scania, 1996), ISA/SRV/Aug 2008, inflatable curtain for side impact head protection (Volvo/Autoliv, 1998), first active head restraint (Saab, 1998), first anti-whiplash seat (Volvo/Autoliv, 1998), and whiplash protection system for rear-seat (Autoliv, 1999).

Current Technologies aim at saving lives through crash safety improvement features. Futuristic Trends will be aiming at moving the emphasis from passive to active safety systems with a focus on preventing the problems from arising and minimising traffic-related fatalities / injuries by developing smart technologies and new IT systems, roadholding and crash safety characteristics for cars and CVs; and intelligent vehicles and road infrastructure systems for users.

With this long safety tradition, Sweden has further consolidated its position by taking unique initiatives like the joint research unit for vehicle and traffic safety, world class collaboration to save lives, research conducted in areas like pre-crash, crash, post-crash and integrity safety, new competence center for vehicle safety systems and solutions, and industry-university co-operation to promote safety culture.

The Intelligent Vehicles Safety Systems (IVSS) programme is an ambitious plan in which the objective is to migrate from active systems to passive solutions. IVSS handles the driver errors effectively. The Vision Zero in Sweden is aimed at achieving zero fatalities and zero serious injuries on the nation’s roads.

CV cabin design features

The driver’s cabin manufactured and supplied by the Swedish majors, Scania and Volvo, have unique design and technology features with high tensile steel cage, steel bumper, front under-run protection system, large glass area with tilt for all-round visibility, large mirrors, excellent lightings, etc., to provide safety.

Some of the internal crash safety features for the cabin are energy absorbing steering wheel, fire-resistant trims and upholstery, knee level softness, stronger A-post, special pedals, adjustable seating systems, good ergonomic dash boards, convenient control positions, climate control and lower noise. These design features provide excellent passive safety in the event of an accident. Anti-lock brake (ABS) and electronic stability programme (ESP) are the additional features which will minimise accidents.

All manufacturers of truck cabins in Sweden design, manufacture and integrate the driver’s cabin on trucks so that they strictly meet the cabin safety standards. For the front end impact test, a pendulum weighing 1250 +/- 250 kg and made of 600 mm cylindrical shape (as per SS 2564 Type A) is used, and the cabin should meet 29.4 kJ impact energy levels. After the test, the driver’s cabin should remain intact on chassis, and all doors should remain closed.

As per Swedish regulation, vertical load of 147 kN is exerted on the roof of the cabin to test its strength and rigidity. After the test, the driver’s cabin should remain intact on chassis. All doors should remain closed, and there should be survival space created inside the cabin.

During the rear impact test, a pendulum weighing 1250 +/- 250 kg and made of 1600 mm x 500 mm rectangular shape (as per SS 2564 Type B) is used to exert impact at the rear of the cabin, and the energy absorption should be 29.4 kN per Ton of Vehicle mass. After the test, the driver’s cabin should remain intact on chassis. All doors should remain closed, and there should be survival space created inside the cabin for manikin created inside the cabin without any contact.

With a strong focus on safety, Swedish vehicle manufacturers have to meet an additional requirement called barrier crash test. Here full frontal collision is given for the truck without any offset and the vehicle travelling at 30 kmph speed under unladen condition. After the test, all doors should remain closed and the driver’s cabin should also remain intact on chassis.

The major difference between the ECE R29 and the Swedish test is that in ECE regulation the frontal impact energy level is 45 kJ, whereas in the Swedish barrier test the approximate level of energy is 260 kJ. All the tests are performed at the shortest and the longest cabin.

Indian CMVR & safety road map

Traditionally Indian CV manufacturers have been supplying either basic cowl or floor with front end structure for driver’s cabin on which various body builders would add rear walls, side walls and the roof to complete the cabin. In fact, cabins made of wood were also quite popular for a long time as they provided effective weather insulation during summer.

SIAM has been working very closely with all stakeholders to finalise a road map for automotive standards, including advanced safety features. Vehicle manufacturers have been following automotive industry standards which are generally in line with the ECE regulations.

In 2003, as a first step, India’s road safety journey started with various measures and technical features which included seat belts, lightings, rear view mirrors, improved braking systems, etc. Subsequently, by 2005, more regulations were introduced. In regard to specific safety standards for driver’s cabin in future, all CV cabins must be tested and type-approved for survival space as per AIS-29.

There are passive safety standards which define the requirements in terms of safety belts, seat belt anchorages, head restraints, fuel tanks, etc. The Automotive Industry Standards (AIS) Committee has been developing detailed technical requirements and standards for driver’s cabins as part of the truck body code to minimise the risk of injury for the occupants or the truck driver.

The AIS-29 is a standard which defines the requirements of survival space for protection of occupants of the cabin of Class N commercial vehicles used for goods transportation. Almost all major guidelines for AIS-29 are generally based on the ECE R-29 regulations. The important safety standards will be implemented from October next.

Similarly, AIS-031 relates to the superstructure strength of large passenger vehicles in which test methods have been defined for roll-over tests, pendulum tests, strength verification, etc.

AIS-029 and ECE R-29

During the test, the Manikin is used to verify the details. It is secured to the driver’s seat which is placed at the rearmost position. The cabin is fitted on the chassis.

In the front impact test, a swing bob made of 1500 +/- 200 kg steel and measuring 2500 x 800 mm flat plate is freely suspended, and it is made to strike front of the cabin. The impact energy is measured, and it should be 3,000 mKgf for vehicle of 7,000 mass. For a vehicle with GVW of more than 7,000 kg mass, energy absorption should be 4,500 Kgf.

The roof of the cabin should withstand a static load corresponding to permitted the front and rear axles and not exceeding 10,000 kg. The rear wall of the cabin should be capable of withstanding a static load of 200 Kgf per tonne of permissible useful load. Manikin is used for verifying the survival space.

Bus body code

India has seen a large number of bus body builders who have been fabricating and assembling bus bodies on regular truck chassis based on conventional designs and technologies. Subsequently many established bus body manufacturers entered the Indian market, like Irizar, Neoplan, Marcopolo, Volvo, etc.

SIAM has now worked out the bus body code to define various design and technological aspects for bus body building. These include floor space, driver area, seating systems, seating layouts, aisle for passenger movements, etc.

Commercial Vehicles - Radialisation picking up momentum

By Jean Paul Caylar, CEO, Michelin India Tyres Pvt. Ltd.
In an era of global warming and soaring crude prices, an increasing resort is made to tyre radialisation for commercial vehicles with a view not only to saving fuel costs but reducing emission of harmful green house gases and easing pressure on global oil reserves. Radialisation also ensures a longer life for tyres.

This is due to the phenomenon known as lowering rolling resistance. “As the wheel goes round, the tyre is deformed to make contact with the road. All the forces required for acceleration, braking and cornering are transmitted through this contact patch. As its structure is deformed, the tyre components heat up, and some of the energy transmitted by the engine is transformed into heat: this is the phenomenon of tyre rolling resistance.”

Rolling resistance is one of the five forces a vehicle must overcome in order to keep moving. The others are aerodynamic drag that depends on vehicle speed, inertia while accelerating, gravity when moving uphill and internal friction in rotating components.
The challenge of low rolling resistance technology is to maintain a tyre’s performance in other areas, particularly safety and wear life. In today’s truck and bus tyre market, two standards exist. The first is cross-ply, or bias or nylon tyres, which is predominantly sold in India’s truck and bus market today. The body of the tyre called the carcass comprises of layers of rubber-coated nylon or rayon fabric called plies. In a cross-ply tyre, the fabric cords of the tyre criss-cross each other. The major reinforcing materials used are rayon and nylon tyre cords.

The main benefit of cross-ply tyres is the initial purchase cost being lower than a radial tyre. However, there are drawbacks, including faster wear, greater fuel consumption, lower vehicle steering control, and greater heating of tyres necessitating stops when travelling long distances.

In a radial tyre, the casing is composed of only one ply made of cords running from bead to bead at 90 degrees to the rolling direction and radially oriented relative to the centre of the tyre.

The secret lies in the parallel carcass arches and reinforced steel belts, allowing total separation of the sidewalls and crown functions: the sidewall and tread areas function separately and the tread is unaffected by the flexing of the sidewalls. This significantly reduces the rolling resistance of a tyre. This results in the ability to drive much more comfortably at much higher speeds without stopping, better steering control and better tyre wear.

The first truck tyre radial was launched in 1952 though the passenger car radial was patented by Michelin in 1946. The energy range of tyres, specifically designed to lower rolling resistance, were first launched by Michelin in 1992, and currently it is the fourth generation of low rolling resistance tyres.

Another key aspect which is less known is that the tyre actually plays a vital role in a vehicle’s energy consumption. At normal driving speeds, a tyre accounts for 30 per cent or more of a truck’s fuel consumption.

Radial tyres help to boost mileage considerably, and the result is a net saving of up to 10 per cent on fuel bills. That’s not a small amount considering that fuel costs account for up to 40 per cent of the cost of operation for trucks and buses.

In recent tests done on Michelin radial tyres versus bias tyres in different conditions across India, the fuel savings recorded was 4-10 per cent on average. Such a difference in the cost of operations makes it possible to amortize the higher purchasing cost of radials over the life of the tyre, and this therefore becomes a significant advantage of the radial tyre.

Then the next advantage of using the Michelin truck radial technology is that after the tyre is worn out there is some extra rubber provided below the tread, which allows one to regroove the tyre. This enables the tyre to run a further 15-25 per cent. Radial tyres can also be retreaded quite easily. This, in turn, will provide 70-80 per cent more mileage (second life). After the second life the whole cycle of regrooving & retreading can be repeated. This allows one to get a significantly lower cost per km.

Opportunities in India

As India continues its steady economic ascent, chalking up an annual growth rate of around eight per cent annually, one of the key drivers for growth will be the effective and efficient mobility of people and goods. Of course there are restraining factors for radialisation, but at the same time opportunities are plentiful.

Among other factors that limit the pace of radialisation is the road condition. Transport congestion, with stop and go, low average speed, poor average distance per day, etc., are other deterrents. Though there is a lot of progress at the Golden Quadrilateral, major bottlenecks hit inter-State movement of people and goods. Maintenance of certain vehicles, geometry maintenance and size of rims may not be favourable to radials as tyres are to be more sensitive to misalignment. This can create uneven wear and reduce the mileage potential. Further, radialisation may be affected by the rising input and fleet maintenance costs.

On the other hand, opportunities for radialisation start with the legal environment, the right road infrastructure which is being strengthened and improved transportation facilities.

However, overloading used to be rampant everyday in the trucking industry, and regardless of the tyres used overloading will cause tyre damage, shorten tyre life, crack rims, and cause accidents due to poor vehicle handling. Overloading also damages the road infrastructure over time. It was not uncommon in India for a vehicle with a maximum load capacity of nine tonnes to carry up to 13 tonnes. It is estimated that a 30 per cent reduction in the life of the highway.

Now with the Supreme Court’s judgment of November 2005 against overloading of trucks and goods vehicles, it is expected that there will be a lot of re-positioning in different tyre segments, and we can foresee a push towards ‘radialisation’ of truck tyres. The scenario will encourage the trucking industry to increase the use of radials. Greater acceptance and fitment of radial tyres by original equipment manufacturers is expected to bring about the transformation in radialisation of the truck and bus segment in India.

The increasing number of multi-axle vehicles (MAVs) is considered another important factor that will give an impetus to radialisation in the CV segment. MAVs are capable of carrying at least 50 per cent more loads compared to normal trucks. This will help reduce the turnaround time.

An additional need to help with the smooth transition for radialisation is the need to provide the right level of information and training to both dealers and end-users. For dealers, it would mean ensuring that the products are matched by the right level of service and technical know-how. For end-users, generating the right awareness on the benefits and usage of radial products will be the key. For Michelin, this component of personal education will play a vital role in its progress in India.

In India, one of the fastest-growing economies in the world today, radialisation is almost complete as far as the passenger car tyres segment is concerned, and is starting to gain momentum in the truck and bus tyres segments. India’s tyre industry has grown rapidly, and is today estimated to be around Rs. 20,000 crores and a sizable percentage of new investment in India’s tyre industry will be spent on improving the radial tyre segment, both for passenger car, as well as for truck and bus.

The future of radialisation in the Indian tyre industry is widely acknowledged to be promising in the commercial vehicle tyre segment. In any case, progress in radialisation, especially the pace of transformation of the market, will be governed by factors like the road infrastructure improvement, overloading control, radial fitments by original equipment manufacturers, the service network.

And even today, with its ability to last longer and depending on conditions sometimes twice as long as a cross ply tyre, operate without over-heating, and save a significant percentage of fuel cost in the process, the switch to radials may happen faster than anticipated.

More than half of all truck tyres in the world are radial truck tyres, as per Michelin estimates. The Asian rate of radialisation is also up at 50 per cent. Markets like Thailand and China, this radialisation rate is upward of 30 per cent. India alone accounts of seven per cent of the world truck tyre consumption. Nevertheless, in 2005, the rate of radialisation was under one per cent and in today’s time it is conservatively estimated as five per cent. In our mind it is just a matter of time. Since this technology provides tangible benefits to the consumer and addresses his top of mind concerns, Radialisation can only increase. India is today poised to join the radial revolution. This technology will pave the way towards achieving sustainable mobility in the country.

This radialisation drive is closely linked with modernization of heavy vehicle fleets, for this is where the strength of radial tyres ties. Add to that the improvement of the Indian road infrastructures, an area where we have seen significant progress in the last few years, the need for radial tyres will become more and more a necessity rather than a luxury. This is one technology which benefits the individual directly and at the same time helps conserve the environment and precious natural resources. In today’s context we feel these two strong reasons will be the key drivers for Radialisation in India.

With over 115,000 employees and sales organizations in more than 170 countries, including India, Michelin is one of the world’s largest tyre manufacturers. Dedicated to the improvement of sustainable mobility, Michelin designs, manufactures and sells tyres for every type of vehicle, including airplanes, automobiles, bicycles, earthmovers, farm equipment, heavy-duty trucks, motorcycles and the US space shuttle, on 69 production sites in 19 countries throughout five continents. The company also publishes travel guides, hotel and restaurant guides, maps and road atlases and offers electronic mobility support services, on ViaMichelin.com. Research and innovation development is being taken care of in technology centres in Europe, the US and Japan.

For Michelin, the need to innovate and contribute to the improvement of mobility is a part of the organization’s genetic code. Its mission is to contribute to the mobility of people and goods by facilitating greater freedom, safety, efficiency and enjoyment of travel.

Commercial vehicle technologies for BS IV emissions compliance

By Arun Ramachandran, Vice President (Automotive Business), Cummins India
The main purpose of Emissions Regulations is to limit, reduce and control air pollution. Emission control is a function of engine technology, fuel quality and traffic speed (congestion). The objective of clean air is achieved only when all these three come together.

On July 15 the MoSRTH issued the draft notification for the next stage of emissions regulations. According to draft notification GSR 522, effective April 1, 2010, Bharat Stage IV norms will be applicable to 11 metros while Bharat Stage III will be applicable to the rest of the country.

Trucks and buses are predominantly powered by heavy duty diesel engines. Modern diesel engines are lighter and are more powerful, fuel efficient and environment-friendly. Bharat Stage IV diesel engines in 2010 will have particulate matter (PM) emissions that are over 95 per cent lower than the Bharat 2000 (BS 1) diesel engines manufactured in the early part of this decade.
This emission reduction is achieved by a combination of improved diesel engine technology and low sulphur (50 ppm) diesel fuel. Combined with reduced traffic congestion this has the potential to check air pollution dramatically.

Today there are two proven approaches to Euro IV emissions compliance. High pressure common rail fuel injection forms the foundation and is common to either approach. Then, to reduce oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter in diesel exhaust, the first option is the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) after-treatment approach and the second is exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) with diesel oxidation catalyst or open filter.

SCR is based on running an optimized combustion in the engine that allows it to operate at more optimal combustion temperatures providing better power, fuel efficiency and lower soot (PM) generation. But this process produces higher NOx. To reduce NOx to levels required by emissions standard, a synthetic urea solution such as Adblue is injected into the exhaust stream. In the presence of a catalyst, Adblue turns into ammonia and carbon-dioxide, which then reacts with the NOx to create nitrogen and water vapour, or 2N2 + 3H2O.

The SCR catalyst also acts to reduce soot to an extent. Thus the SCR process reduces soot or PM in engine combustion and Nox and further PM reduction in the after-treatment system.

Now about cooled exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) + DOC / open filter. Cooled EGR introduces cooled exhaust gas, which is low in oxygen, back into the engine, depriving the combustion event of some of its oxygen. This reduces the combustion temperature and lowers NOx production. The downside is that the lower-temperature diesel combustion is less efficient, so it creates more particulate matter and burns more fuel.

The high soot or particulate matter produced during combustion is reduced using oxidation catalyst or open filter. This process results in significantly increased engine heat rejection. In contrast to the SCR process, this process reduces NOx in the engine and soot in the after-treatment process.

As with all technology comparisons aimed at proving the same solution, there are pros and cons to consider for both the technologies that enable compliance to Euro IV emissions. However, both solutions are proven technologies for markets to choose from.
The accompanying table shows a comparison of both technologies across various parameters.

Manufacturers in Europe have implemented both technologies successfully. European production numbers indicate that vehicles with SCR outnumber those with EGR + DOC/ open filter nearly two to one.

Prior to the launch of Euro IV in Europe, there was concern about availability of Adblue distribution infrastructure. Today nobody even talks about this issue as there are various brands like Dureal, Air1, BlueCat, Greenox, etc., supplied by industrial chemical distribution companies like Univar, Brenntag, J & H Bunn Ltd., Kemira Growhow, etc., in partnership with chemicals manufacturers like BASF and Yara ensuring adequate availability of Adblue.

Euro IV regulations became mandatory in Australia with effect from January last. Even though Australia has very little urea production, and most of its urea requirements are being met through imports, SCR technology has been embraced by the Australian commercial vehicle industry. Industrial chemical distribution companies have taken the lead to install manned and unmanned Adblue pumps at remote truck refuelling sites. These and the tie-ups with OEM networks also have ensured adequate distribution networks for supplying Adblue in Australia.

In India

Effective April 1, 2010, Bharat Stage IV norms will be applicable to 11 metros while Bharat Stage III will be applicable to the rest of the regions in India. This implies that BS IV diesel, with 50 ppm sulphur, will be available in the metros, while BS III diesel, with 350 ppm sulphur, will be available in the rest of the country. As commercial vehicles ply across the country, it will be impossible to ensure that BS IV vehicles fill only BS IV fuel.

The negative impact of repeated filling with BS III diesel can be fairly significant for BS IV engines based on cooled EGR + DOC / open filter technology.

The EGR cooler and other engine components are quite vulnerable to the sulphuric acid nuclei formed during the EGR process. Modern coatings offer a fair degree of protection against this situation. However, long-term durability using diesel with higher sulphur content is suspect.

Multiple SAE papers documented that the effectiveness of the DOC / open filter to reduce soot or particulate matter strongly depends on the soot burden and the engine operating point. Repeated fills with BS III diesel is expected to increase the soot burden significantly, raising doubts about long-term emission stability due to catalyst aging and irreversible adhesion of ash particles.

The durability of the SCR system, on the other hand, is not negatively impacted by the usage of BS III diesel. But the system needs an external reducing agent, Adblue, to function effectively. Key concerns on SCR technology center around availability of Adblue in India and vehicle operator’s effectiveness in refilling it on depletion.

The European and Australian experience suggests that Adblue distribution network is unlikely to be a problem. It is expected that industrial chemical distribution companies will take the lead to distribute Adblue through their channels and / or through the vehicle manufacturer channels.

The bigger issue is to ensure that the vehicle operator takes responsibility for refilling Adblue at required intervals. This can be achieved through a combination of driver warning systems, emissions monitoring system and driver inducement system.

The driver warning system (dashboard indication) informs the vehicle operator that Adblue is low and must soon be replenished. The driver inducement system acts as a back-up by triggering engine shutdown or reducing power to a “limp mode” in case a driver attempts to operate the vehicle without proper replenishment. The emission monitoring system, consisting of a NOx sensor at the tail pipe, measures actual NOx emissions. In case the operator uses diluted reducing agents or no reducing agent the sensor will detect high NOx emissions and trigger action by the driver inducement system.

Thus, in the Indian context, the choice of EGR + DOC / open filter or SCR distills down to a question of balancing two opposing risks, i.e., the risk of reduced engine durability and emissions durability on account of high sulphur / adulterated fuel usage for EGR + DOC / open filter versus operator effectiveness in refilling Adblue for the SCR system.

It is expected that the SCR system, coupled with the driver warning system, emissions monitoring system and the driver inducement system, is a lower risk from the standpoint of engine durability and pollution reduction.

In India, fuel cost is said to contribute as much as 50-60 per cent of operating costs, and SCR delivers better fuel efficiency compared to cooled EGR + DOC / open filter. This tips the balance in favour of SCR as the preferred solution in the Indian context, especially when viewed through the lens of lower risk on engine durability, and emissions durability and better fuel economy.

In different parts of the world, Cummins Inc. has thousands of production engines with both EGR and SCR technologies. With the experience of both technologies operating in different markets, based on the above reasoning, Cummins’ main stream plans are to introduce EIV engines with SCR technology.

Growing global market for air spring technology

By Arun Kumar, Managing Director, Firestone Industrial Products - Asia
As we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the first rubber air spring this year, the global community of air spring manufacturers sits on the cusp of exciting growth potential throughout Asia. The economies of China and India especially are booming. India’s GDP growth in 2007-2008 was 9.1 per cent, pushing the national GDP over the $1 trillion mark. Such economic growth vastly increases the demand for new motorized vehicles of all types for transportation of people and goods. It also increases the demand for higher quality and performance from these vehicles.

For this reason, air spring systems for automotive, trucking, off-road and rail applications are quickly gaining popularity among motor vehicle manufacturers in Asia. A vehicle with an air spring suspension provides a much smoother and more comfortable ride than one with the traditional mechanical leaf or coil spring suspension, adding extra safety for fragile cargo. Studies have shown that heavy-load vehicles with air springs also cause less wear and tear on road systems. The benefits from air spring systems are far-reaching.
Simply put, air springs improve the ride and handling of the vehicle by providing cushions of air between the wheels and the frame. The spring assembly comprises an air-filled rubber cord structure that rolls up and down over a plastic or steel piston. As the vehicle travels over a roadway, the spring undergoes jolting bounces and rebounds and absorbs energy from the wheels. This cushioning effect increases the comfort of passengers and the security of cargo.

This article provides an overview of the air springs market in India and a forecast of what lies ahead. First, however, let’s begin with a background of air springs and product innovations over the years.

Firestone Industrial Products designed and patented the first rubber air spring in 1938, and by the 1950 air springs were being used in the US in the suspensions of buses and select General Motors automobiles. Though air springs gained little traction in the automotive industry initially, they made a good penetration into the truck and trailer market in the 1960s, where they are most widely used today.

In the US and Europe, the air springs market reached critical mass in the 1980s, as design and system improvements brought air springs back into the automotive industry for luxury vehicles, and manufacturers significantly strengthened their foothold in the truck and trailer industry. Since then, the uptrend in sales continued.
In the latter half of the 1990s, Firestone and other air springs manufacturers got the opportunity to expand into Asia, with the emergence of growing economies of China and India. Air springs were introduced in India through suspensions for luxury buses. Luxury bus passengers soon became accustomed to smoother air rides, and today air spring suspensions are becoming a standard fitment in most luxury buses made in India, creating exponential growth in demand for the product.

As of 2007, Europe accounted for 52 per cent of the global air spring market for heavy-duty vehicles, and North America accounted for 31 per cent. Asia currently makes up 13 per cent of the market, a figure that is expected to increase to 20 per cent by 2013. The air spring industry is now seeing increased demand in the luxury bus, truck and trailer sectors across Asia from original equipment manufacturers (OEM) – and for very good reason.

The major outcome of the current Asian prosperity is the growth of heavy truck manufacturing in China and India, which along with Brazil, are the decade’s three fastest-growing truck markets in the world. In fact, if current trends continue, China is expected to overtake North America as the world’s largest truck manufacturer in the next three years.

China produced 343,072 trucks last year and India 119,160. Another sign of a thriving economy – infrastructure growth – largely drives India’s growth in motorized vehicle production.

Infrastructure growth

India’s National Highways Development Project (NHDP), a massive government infrastructure rehabilitation project, will produce 66,590 km of new roads and improved existing roads, all waiting for automobile, truck and bus travel. The first phase of the NHDP – the 5,846 km Golden Quadrilateral network of expansive express highways connecting Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai is almost 97 per cent complete (http://www.nhai.org/goldenquadrilateral.asp). Also in progress are Phase II of NHDP, the North-South-East-West Corridor highways (6,647 km); Phase III, involving the upgrading of 4,035 km of national highways; Phase IV, which will widen 6,500 km of existing four-lane highways; and Phase V, which will add 1,000 km of expressways. The estimated expense of this expansive project is $13.2 billion (Rs. 54,000 crores).

With such an investment, it’s certain that the Union Government would protect and preserve this world-class network of highways for as long as possible. One way to do this is by ensuring that heavy vehicles put only minimal wear and tear on roads, as they are typically responsible for 50 per cent of road maintenance costs. Air springs are an excellent solution to this problem.

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has reported that the use of air suspensions on motor vehicles increases the pavement life by 15 to 60 per cent, corresponding to increased static load of 4 to 12 per cent. Increased pavement life means significant reduction in road maintenance costs, which often comprise 90 per cent of annual road budgets in OECD countries.

Another factor increasing demand for trucks and air springs is transportation of goods from railway stations to their final destination. India still relies heavily on rail transportation for long-distance freight movement, and there are currently additions being made to its national rail system. Goods are moved at high speeds over long distances by rail, and trucks carry them the rest of the way. Air springs will also be needed on trailers used in inter-modal transport, where a trailer with goods is transported by train part of the way and hooked up to a truck for the remainder of the trip.

Transportation trends

Over the past 10 years, luxury bus passengers in India and China have noticed the difference between a bus with traditional mechanical leaf suspension and one that has an air suspension. Luxury buses with air suspensions provide a more comfortable ride, and bus riders are willing to pay the extra fare to ride on them. And, many more are able to do so, thanks to the thriving national economies. The luxury bus segment has provided a strong entry point for the air spring market into India and China. There is no better way to promote the virtues of air spring suspensions than having vehicle passengers experience these air rides themselves and spread the word.
Once people understand how smooth an air spring-equipped vehicle rides, it is easy to understand the value in air suspensions for shipping fragile goods, such as poultry products, glass and luxury items.

Major market segments

There are five major market segments in Asia where air springs are gaining popularity and will continue to grow in use:

• Truck suspensions – a fast-growing market. As the highway infrastructure grows and more manufacturers and truck repair outlets become educated about air springs, there will be a significant increase in demand from the OEM and the replacement parts sector.

• Trailer suspensions – also growing fast. Air spring-equipped trailers provide much safer transportation for goods than standard spring suspensions and limit wear and tear on roads.

• Cab mounts provide more comfort and less wear and tear, due to reduced vibrations in the cab of a large truck. Growth is slow, as they are still considered to be a luxury item.

• Seat springs provide extra sitting comfort. Though considered a luxury item, this segment is rapidly growing. Air-suspended seats and cab mounts have been identified as a means of reducing driver fatigue and increasing productivity.

• Helper/hybrid springs – these air springs supplement the existing springs to enhance ride quality, enable leveling of the vehicle and improve steering and brake control.

Future of air suspensions in India

With air springs, India has the advantage of adopting a product that has already gone through much improvement and development in other countries over the past 70 years. And, the nation is quickly becoming more technically savvy. With these factors in play, it is certain that air spring suspensions will experience rapid adoption in truck, trailer, bus and inter-modal segments.

In the years to come, air springs will likely have high penetration in trucks, trailers, lift axles, medium-size buses and helper springs for leveling. But the level of growth depends greatly on how well the air spring industry educates its customer base. For instance, highways in India have an extensive network of roadside repair shops for conventional suspensions. It is vitally important that this network be familiarized with repair and maintenance of any new technology products because this network is truly the backbone of the national service infrastructure.

With the current trends in Asia, however, we can expect that the air springs industry will see considerable growth, especially in India and China. Industry forecasts show that in 10 years, 50 per cent of all heavy commercial vehicles in India will have air spring suspensions, and 70 per cent of heavy commercial vehicles will have them in China.

With more and more individuals and companies in India and China experiencing the comfortable rides and enhanced passenger and cargo safety of air spring-equipped motorized vehicles, air springs are sure to become a widespread standard across Asia.

RUDOLF DIESEL : 150 YEARS

No other manufacturer is as closely associated with the history of the diesel engine as MAN. After all, it was at Maschinenfabrik Augsburg – later to become MAN – where Rudolf Diesel developed the world’s first engine to bear his name. Intensive promotion of diesel technology is still part of the company’s visionary orientation. The MAN Nutzfahrzeuge Group continues to build on its diesel competence. Its range of products centers on the most modern diesel engines for commercial vehicles, autobuses, yachts and rail vehicles.

Just 150 years ago, few scientists could have imagined engines that would propel automobiles, trucks and enormous container ships all around the world. The 19th century, the era of the Industrial Revolution, was characterized by the steam engine. Its steady pounding could be heard coming from machine shops, ships and locomotives. But the end of the steam engine and its huge boiler plant was already approaching.

Rudolf Diesel was born on March 18, 1858, the son of German parents, in Paris. The young boy had a scientific leaning and was sent to Augsburg to attend the Royal Bavarian Vocational School, now the Holbein High School. Following that he studied at the Munich Polytechnic under Professor Carl von Linde, for whom, after graduating, he returned to Paris to set up a factory for ice machines. But he was more interested in building a “rational heat engine”, an idea that led to the invention of the diesel engine.

Eventually, on February 28, 1893, he was awarded a patent for an “internal combustion engine” by the Imperial Patents Office in Berlin. He wanted to find alternatives to the steam engine, which needed a lot of maintenance and only worked with efficiency of 10 per cent at the most. To achieve this he needed partners, but those he approached were sceptical. All they saw in him was a young 34-year-old engineer with an invention that aspired to take the place of the omnipresent steam engine.

But Diesel persisted until, finally, he managed to convince the president of Maschinenfabrik Augsburg of his plans. The risk was considerable, but Heinrich von Buz agreed to go ahead with the idea. Maschinenfabrik Augsburg – a forerunner of MAN – and the Friedrich Krupp company made the necessary means available: manpower and equipment, an experimental station and financial resources to get the project going.

In April 1893 already, Rudolf Diesel started setting up an experiment in Augsburg. After a number of initial difficulties a first measurement of power was performed in June 1895. But the efficiency of only 16.6 per cent was disappointing. It was not until February 17, 1897 that Diesel’s invention worked satisfactorily for the first time. The similarity with a steam engine could hardly be overlooked. The massive steel construction was three metres in height; the A-frame with the cylinder mounted on a crosshead and flywheel at the side, powered by kerosene, managed an impressive 18 hp and quite astonishing efficiency of 26.2 per cent.

Diesel’s rational heat engine thus outclassed all other forms of propulsion. It worked without an ignition device, needed no boiler plant, and no coal bunker. Compared to the gasoline powered or spark ignition engine, the diesel engine possessed three decisive advantages: it was more robust because it consisted of fewer parts; it was able to burn heavy oil, which was cheaper than gasoline; and its efficiency was far superior.

Selling success

Very soon the diesel engine embarked on its triumphal course around the world. But things would not have reached that stage without the support of Maschinenfabrik Augsburg. The engineers at the Augsburg works improved details and eliminated many teething troubles. Just after the turn of the century the engine was finally regarded as safe to operate and ripe for the market.

Initially, Rudolf Diesel showed himself to be very adroit in how he marketed his product. Worldwide licences made him a millionaire. By 1903 already, ferry boats with diesel engines were crossing the English Channel. In 1913 there were some 300 diesel-propelled ships on the world’s oceans. By 1912, co-operation with the Borsig works in Berlin had produced the world’s first diesel locomotive, delivered to the Königlich Preussische Staatsbahn.

Rudolf Diesel died on September 29, 1913, under tragic circumstances while travelling to England. He fell overboard during the night from the packet ship Dresden – something that has remained a mystery ever since.

Engines on wheels

Among fast running diesel engines it is MAN Nutzfahrzeuge that sets the pace with ground-breaking developments – direct injection, exhaust turbocharging, the most modern forms of combustion and many pioneering technologies are developed by MAN engineers.

In the early years of the 20th century MAN engineers achieved ground-breaking developments. Doing away with the crosshead, which was adopted from the steam engine, produced a substantial cut in the weight/horsepower ratio.

In 1898, Maschinenfabrik Augsburg and Maschinenbau-Actiengesellschaft Nürnberg agreed to combine their activities – the newly established Vereinigte Maschinenfabrik Augsburg und Maschinenbaugesellschaft Nürnberg AG soon afterwards became Maschinenfabrik Augsburg Nürnberg or M.A.N. In 1915 the Armed Forces Administration was pressuring the production of trucks because of the enormous war requirements. The Nuremberg works was contracted for something that President Anton Rieppel had long wanted: “MAN must be put on wheels”.

On July 12, 1915, MAN concluded a license agreement with the Swiss automobile factory Adolph Saurer and became a truck manufacturer. A diesel engine was still out of the question, because it was too heavy and its fuel compressor injection made it too complicated.

The first truck manufactured in Nuremberg went onto the market under the double name MAN-Saurer. A 37-hp gasoline engine propelled the chain drive and gate-type gear control of the solid rubber tyres on wooden wheels. Its load capacity was four to five tonnes.

After the end of World War I, the engineers at the Augsburg works resumed development of the diesel engine. The focal problem, the injection of the fuel with compressed air and the necessary high-pressure compressor, was solved by MAN technicians through direct injection. Fuel was injected straight into the combustion chamber under high pump pressure. This very much simplified the engines and their maintenance. At the same time, the way was opened for small engines and higher engine speeds.

While other manufacturers stuck to the concept of the precombustion chamber engine, MAN decided to go its own way. At the German Automobile Show in Berlin 1924, MAN presented the first diesel truck, which was soon being manufactured in small series. The four-cylinder, now produced by the Nuremberg works, delivered 45 hp at 1050 crank shaft revolutions, consumed only 200 g/hph, and was barely heavier than a conventional carburettor engine. The first customers trusted in MAN’s good reputation and its new engine design – Bavaria’s postal administration, for instance, which ordered a number of engines for its autobuses ahead of the Berlin Show.

In 1925 the MAN trucks were again among the special attractions of the show in Berlin. The most modern diesel truck was without doubt presented by MAN – engine, clutch and gearbox for the first time in a single block, and the engine power transmitted to the rear axle by a propeller shaft.

In 1927, MAN answered the demand for high engine power with a six-cylinder diesel. Multiple-jet nozzles, an optimized piston head and four valves per cylinder achieved 110 hp. At the same time, specific fuel consumption dropped. In 1930, in the course of its basic research, MAN developed the K principle with an oblique combustion chamber, air accumulator and 400 bar injection pressure. That allowed the use of a piston with a smooth head.

The master stroke

The year 1923 saw the breakthrough – fuel was injected direct under high pump pressure into the combustion chamber. The highly complex compressed-air injection by compressor was no more. Smaller engines and higher engine speeds were now possible. While competitors chose the pre-combustion chamber technique of the engineer Prosper L’Orange for their heavy-oil engines, MAN stuck to the principle of direct injection for its diesel engines.

Typical features of the direct injection diesel were undivided combustion chambers and, compared to pre-combustion chamber or swirl chamber engines, the smaller combustion chamber surface. This was accompanied by lower losses of heat and flow, resulting in less consumption and higher efficiency. Today virtually all diesel engines in commercial vehicles worldwide use direct injection.

MAN developed a series of trucks that, in a two-axled version, was capable of handling payloads of three, four, five, six and a half and – for export – eight tonnes. The year 1926 already saw the first MAN three-axle truck, extending the system of type rating to 10 tonnes. However the long bonnet still concealed a 150 hp six-cylinder gasoline engine, which was not replaced by an equally powerful diesel engine until 1932.

The three-axle heavy-duty S 1 H 6 was the most powerful diesel truck in the world, its six-cylinder engine with 16.6 liters capacity producing 150 hp – ideal for long distances and heavy loads. But the presentation of the world’s most powerful three-axle diesel came at the time of the Great Depression, which was also a difficult time for the commercial vehicle manufacturer MAN. Consequently only few examples of the impressive heavy-duty truck appeared on the roads.

Truck production did not really get going again until after 1933. The construction of motorways and various procurement programs created heavy demand. The legislature increased admissible vehicle weights – two-axled trucks may now weigh up to 15 tonnes. In 1934 MAN attracted attention through a triumph of a special kind: the International Automobile Diesel Engine Rally, conducted through large areas of the Soviet Union, was won by a vehicle with a MAN engine in the face of tough competition.

In 1937 the engine designers in Nuremberg came up with a revolutionary innovation in the spherical combustion chamber and the flat-seat jet. MAN spoke of the G principle (G standing for globe) – the eccentric hollow sphere in the piston head reduces the heat losses, the rugged flat-seat jet, offset from center, avoids the elaborate multiple-jet nozzle. More fuel burns in a short time, performance improved from the 100 hp of the forerunner six-cylinder to 120 hp.

World War II

In 1938, by order of the Army Ordnance Office, production of a standard diesel was commenced, designed by MAN, Henschel and Humboldt-Deutz. Behind this was an attempt by the Armed Forces to reduce the diversity of its truck models. MAN was called upon to produce a 4.5- and a 6.5-tonne model. But the focus in armaments was on building battle tanks – the building of trucks and buses was later halted, with the exception of spare parts in Nuremberg.

Quite apart from this production, the company continued the development of high-performance diesel engines. Together with a partner enterprise, MAN presented an air-cooled V16 diesel engine with an exhaust turbocharger that produced unbelievable 900 hp at 2200 rpm, for a sensational weight/horsepower ratio of only 1.7 kg. The 4.5-tonner developed for the forces, named SML, became the prototype of a modern semi-forward-control truck, and the basis for post-war production.

On April 16, 1945, the US Army arrived and confiscated what was left of the MAN works in Nuremberg. War damage here was especially severe. Nevertheless, at the end of 1945 already the first 4.5-tonners of the type ML 4500 rolled out of the patched up factory shops, and in 1946 the output was all of 129 units. Working away under the short bonnets of the two-axle trucks were six-cylinder inline engines, using the G principle to produce 110 and 130 hp, and consuming only 18 litres of diesel to travel 100 km fully loaded.

In 1950, MAN presented its first post-war heavy-duty truck in the F8. The nucleus of the imposing 10-tonner (10 tonnes payload) was Germany’s first water-cooled V8 diesel, generating 180 hp from 11.6 liters cubic capacity and capable of handling the heaviest truck trains. The cab was just as generously scaled as the engine, and a special design feature of the F8 was the headlights integrated in the wings.

In 1951, MAN surprised visitors to the IAA in Frankfurt by presenting the first German truck engine with exhaust turbocharging. This technology, already adopted in marine engines, locomotives and stationary diesel engines, made it possible to achieve higher power with more injected fuel, and to make better use of the energy. The six-cylinder of the two-axle MAN MK 26 was named D 1546 GT, and instead of the usual 130 hp the engineers produced 175 hp from 8.72 litres displacement, a remarkable 35 per cent more. But for the moment the turbocharged six-cylinder was a prototype – its technology showed the way for the future however, and features today in every diesel engine.(To be concluded)