Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/141668
Regulatory Tier Fear For 20 years, the specter of off-road diesel emissions standards has troubled the dreams of construction equipment manufacturers, dealers, and customers. Now the Environmental Protection Agency Tier-4 Final standards are nearly here – beginning in 2014 – and still there is some anxiety about OEMs and dealers being ready. Almost without exception, major engine and heavy equipment manufacturers insist that they are geared up to produce the mandated-engine systems, and that their dealers are equally prepared to service them. Less sanguine are customers whose experiences with Tier-4 Interim engine systems have been unsatisfactory. diesel engine industry insider, A Mike Brinker is something of a bellwether of worriers on the subject. The director of industrial sales at Cummins Inc. hopes for the best but will not be surprised if the worst occurs. When looking ahead to the arrival of Tier" Mike Brinker 4 Final next year, I believe there are a whole bunch of dealers who will say they are ready now - but the reality is, I would say 20 percent of dealers are where they need to be," said Brinker. "This is expected, because at this time we only need to support Cummins and OEM field test Are Dealers Ready? Or Not? Has tech training been up to snuff or is the industry blowing smoke? By Giles Lambertson machines out on operation, and we know exactly where all those machines are located. For the dealer, the move from Interim to Final capability can be undertaken very quickly and at a reasonable investment, as the only significant change is with the exhaust aftertreatment. "As we move into 2014 and see a gradually increasing population of Tier-4 Final powered machines in the field, the percentage of dealers certified to service the engines will rapidly ramp up to reach our goal of 750 locations across North America. Alongside the dealer capability will be Cummins 'Infant Care' program led by our factory engineers to monitor and provide additional support for the early population of Tier-4 Final-powered machines." The Challenge The EPA set the stage for all this engineering stress in 1994 when it established inaugural emission standards for offroad diesel engines larger than 50 horsepower. In 1998, the standards for engines under 50 hp were established, along with Tier-2 and Tier-3 phase-in schedules for larger engines through 2008. This was followed in 2004 by Tier-4 standards, broken into "interim" and "final" stages of compliance, phased in through 2015. (continued on page 24) 22 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | July 2013 22_Tier4_Feature_KP.indd 22 6/27/13 12:52 PM