Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1504191
I DA U N I V E R S A L Au g u s t - S e p te m b e r 2 0 2 3 29 NUTS & BOLTS continued from page 27 Cummins announced the development of a new high- temperature steel alloy in collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). e new material will increase the durability and ultimate effi ciency of Cummins' engines and better serve the company's customers and fl eets. Since starting its alliance with ORNL in 2018, the project to research and develop an alternative steel alloy with signifi cantly improved high temperature oxidation resistance and strength, while maintaining aff ordability, has provided quick and eff ective results. " e partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and development of the new material shows the serious potential for improvements and effi ciencies for our engines," said Corey Trobaugh, Cummins director-applied science and technology, in a statement. "I am extremely proud of the value of work our team has provided and the future improvement it lends." Previous materials have limited engine effi ciency gains and emissions reductions, and prohibited engineers from extracting more heat from the combustion process, due to materials degrading prematurely from oxidation, scaling, and cracking. e new material is signifi cantly stronger at elevated temper- atures, compared to the most commonly used commercial steel, 4140, and has virtually eliminated those degradation pathways. When comparing the new alloy to 4140 steel, the novel steel alloy exhibited 85 percent greater Ultimate Tensile Strength improves response times and saves bandwidth for a swi data experience. Integrating this architecture with a cloud- based platform further helps to create a robust, end-to- end communications system for cost-eff ective business decisions and effi cient opera- tions. Collectively, the edge cloud and embedded intel- ligence duo connect the edge devices (sensors embedded within the vehicle) to the IT infrastructure to make way for a new range of user-centric applications based on real- world environments. is has a wide range of applications for construction professionals where resulting insights can be consumed and monetized by the OEMs. e most obvious use case is for a ermarket and vehicle maintenance where eff ective algorithms can analyze the health of the vehicle in near real-time to suggest remedies for impending vehicle failures across vehicle assets like engine, oil, battery, tires and so on. Construction fl eets leveraging this data can have maintenance teams ready to perform service on a vehicle that returns in a far more effi cient manner since much of the diagnostic work has been performed in real time. Additionally, insurance and extended warranties can benefi t by providing active driver behavior analysis so that training modules can be drawn up specifi c to individual driver needs based on actual driving behavior history and analysis. For construction fl eets, the active monitoring of both the vehicle and driver scores can enable reduced TCO (total cost of ownership) for fl eet operators to reduce losses owing to pilferage, the and negligence while again providing active training to the drivers. Powering the Future of Fleet Management AI-powered analytics leveraging IoT, edge computing and the cloud are rapidly changing how fl eet management is performed, making it more effi cient and eff ective than ever. e ability of AI to analyze large amounts of information from telematics devices provides managers with valuable information to improve fl eet effi ciency, reduce costs and optimize produc- tivity. From real-time analytics to driver safety management, AI is already changing the way fl eets are managed. e more datasets AI collects with OEM processing via the cloud, the better predictions it can make. is means safer, more intuitive EVs for construction profes- sionals in the future with more accurate routes and better real-time vehicle diagnostics. is will ensure a smooth and benefi cial transition over to electrifi ed technology for vehicles in the fl eet. ● www.forconstructionpros.com 6/23 Cummins Unveils New Steel Alloy for Engines (maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before breaking) and 143 percent greater fatigue strength (maximum cyclical stress that can be applied for the material to withstand at least 10 million cycles before failure) at 600 C. Additionally, in an aggressive, long-term engine test of pistons manufactured from the new material, no cracking occurred and very little oxidation or scaling occurred. e new medium carbon steel off ers at least a 50oC increase in tempera- ture capability as compared to current 4140 steels. Cooperative development of the new alloy was supported by the Department of Energy's Vehicle Technologies Offi ce LightMAT Program. ● www.constructionequipment.com 6/23 Strategies continued from page 27 Nuts & Bolts continued on page 31