Equipment World

September 2014

Equipment World Digital Magazine

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EquipmentWorld.com | September 2014 19 "W hy does it have to be this way? Why are we having to do one more thing?" Those are typically the fi rst ques- tions customers ask Heath Watton, regional manager for Southeast- ern Equipment, Cambridge, Ohio, when they're told about Tier 4 Fi- nal engines and the diesel exhaust fl uid (DEF) they need to operate. The frustration is understandable. Off-road diesel engines have gone through big and complex changes in the last 10 years. Each change has brought additional costs, unfa- miliar technology and new mainte- nance requirements. Watton's response is simply this: "It's your government at work, and the reality is you're going to have to accept it because that's what it is." Nonetheless, "what it is" says Watton and all the other experts we talked to, isn't too hard to fi gure out. It won't hurt productiv- ity. A short talk with your dealer, a bit of research and training and familiarization for the troops and you'll be able to run Tier 4 Final equipment and handle DEF with no problems. But even if you don't plan to purchase any Tier 4 Final equip- ment for the next couple of years, you won't be able to ignore it much longer. "The off-highway market will consume about 20 million gallons of DEF this year and 260 million gallons in fi ve years," says Luke Van Wyk, general manager, Thunder Creek Equip- ment. "That's more than a ten-fold increase before 2019." 1. What is DEF? As of this year most new, large-dis- placement off-road diesel engines (75 horsepower and up) use DEF to meet Tier 4 Final emissions regulations. The fl uid is injected into the exhaust stream and in the presence of cata- lysts turns smog-inducing NOx into harmless oxygen, water and nitrogen. New on-highway diesel engines have been using DEF since 2010. And many automotive diesels, including BMWs and Mercedes, use it today, although in much smaller amounts than heavy diesel engines. ISO standard 22241 defi nes DEF as a mixture of 32.5 percent highly pure urea and 67.5 percent de-ionized maintenance | by Tom Jackson | TJackson@randallreilly.com Most Tier 4 Final machines, 75 horsepower and up, require this new fl uid and a change in maintenance protocols. 9 things you must know to get a handle on DEF Photo courtesy Thunder Creek/Chamness Technology

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