Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/65232
TRENDS AND TIDBITS continued from page 25 Carbon Regulations Drive New Diesel Engine Lubricant Standards Engine manufacturers, the oil industry and engine lubricant makers are develop- ing a new category of oils for diesel engines to help meet tomorrow's emission and fuel economy standards. Th e U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffi c Safety Administration announced in August 2011 that they will begin regulating in 2016 fuel economy and greenhouse- gas emissions for on-road trucks. Th e new rules were the culmination of a May 2010 presidential memorandum calling for the fi rst-ever regula- tion of on-road greenhouse-gas emissions, including CO2. Eff orts to meet other emissions standards and fuel-effi ciency criteria have driven recent advances in diesel-engine technology that, alongside the adoption of ultra-low-sulfur diesel, have resulted in signifi cant drops in particulate matter and NOx emissions. Th ese evolv- ing diesel- engine designs already had industry groups concerned that CJ-4, the cur- rent certifi cation standard for lubricants introduced in 2006, is becoming obsolete. "[Th e EPA announce- ment] wasn't the only reason for a new standard, but it certainly … pushed it over the edge, " says Roger Gault, tech- nical director with the Truck and Engine and Manufacturer Association (EMA). "We're not having major problems with CJ-4 lubes, but some tests need to be replaced because of hardware reasons, and some heavy-duty engine manu- facturers are going to migrate to lower-viscosity oils to meet effi ciency requirements. " In June 2011, EMA fi rst requested a new standard, known as Proposed Cat- egory-11, then formed a committee of industry rep- resentatives, which began meeting in February. Th e fi rst licensing deadline for new lubricants is Jan. 1, 2016. "It's kind of in its infancy right now. A new category takes about four years to develop, " Dan Arcy, OEM technical manager for Shell Global Solutions and a member of the PC-11 evalua- tion team, told ENR at a Shell- sponsored press event in Park City, Utah. "For those four years, we're going to be very, very tight, but it is doable. Th e relationship between " engine lubricant and over- all fuel economy depends on the design of the engine. Engine manufacturers see lubricants as a potential way of improving fuel economy in the future. While PC-11 is still not fully formed, one idea being fl oated is the introduction of Heavy-duty Aftermarket Up Nearly 30% Since 2009 MacKay & Company has reported that since the trough of the heavy-duty aſt ermarket in December 2009, U.S. heavy- duty parts sales have increased by 29.4 percent. Th e news was reported by MacKay & Com- pany to subscribers of its Aſt er- market Index program. According to MacKay, sales to both original equip- ment service programs and the independent heavy-duty aſt er- market have increased substan- tially, although not identically. Furthermore, meaningful sales increases have been experi- enced not only in the United States, but also in Canada and Mexico as well, MacKay says. MacKay & Co. has been collecting monthly aſt er- market sales data from 12 of the leading suppliers to both the original equipment and independent aſt ermarkets IDA UNIVERSAL May-June 2012 two subcategories: lower-vis- cosity lubricants that have some demonstrable fuel economy benefi t and more traditional, higher-viscosity oils. "Th ink of our current oil, which is thick, and a thin oil, which is the oil of tomorrow, " says Arcy. All of these lubricants will be subject to the same durability standards under PC-11, but Arcy and the rest of the team are looking at how to accommodate engine manu- facturers' varied solutions to fuel economy requirements. enr.construction.com By Jeff Rubenstone, 3-26-12 PC-11 since 1998. Th ese suppliers provide monthly informa- tion separately on sales to both the OES and indepen- dent channels in the United States, Canada and Mexico on a confi dential basis to MacKay & Co. acting as a clearinghouse. Composite data is aggregated and analyzed, and monthly benchmark data is supplied back to each participant. According to David J. Kalvelage, MacKay's manager of database services, the Aſt er- market Index allows partici- pating companies to measure their aſt ermarket performance in both primary channels of distribution in each of three geographic markets on a monthly basis. New participants entering the Index program are asked to provide several years of historical data. www.ccjdigital.com, 4-9-12 Trends continued on page 41 27