Shandong Heavy Industry India Offers Fuel-Efficient Weichai Engines
We have implemented various innovations to control the negative environmental impact of our Weichai engines and have enhanced their efficiency through use of energy-efficient machinery that consumes less fuel and operates more efficiently, informs Gurunath Kulkarni, Vice President, Shandong Heavy industry India (SHIG India).
India as a nation is moving very swiftly and sequentially towards reducing carbon emission by implementing numerous pollution control measures in vehicles, construction machineries, and backup power generation systems running on diesel, gasoline, and natural-gas engines. We have completely aligned our Weichai engines towards meeting these regulations across all segments, which called for significant changes in the technology used in our diesel engines, where one has to reduce engine emission by burning fuel efficiently and then treating it with an advanced after-treatment system. To meet these new standards, we developed engines with electronic fuel systems (ECU) and implemented after-treatment systems, such as DOC (Diesel Oxidation Catalyst) and SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction). Our technical route for compliance includes CRDI (Common Rail Direct Injection) combined with DOC and SCR, added with DPF as per Stage V emission standards.
All the three important and growing segments (On & Off highways vehicles, constructions machineries, and back-up power generation) now have (almost at par) emission norms. In fact, we were always ahead of the curve due to our global presence and experience. As a global company, we are also ready with natural gas based electric and hydrogen engines and the technology can be brought to the Indian market within a short timeline of 5-6 months, based on the requirement, technology adoption, and viable proposition.
We follow the best processes for manufacturing diesel engines at our world-class manufacturing unit. We have implemented various innovations to control the negative environmental impact of engines and enhance their efficiency. We do this through energy-efficient machinery that consumes less power and operates more efficiently. We also follow lean manufacturing techniques to minimize wastage, improve process efficiency, and reduce overall environmental impact.
We are using closed-loop water systems to recycle and reuse water within the plant to reduce water consumption. We are using recycled and eco-friendly materials whenever possible, and have implemented comprehensive waste management measures, including recycling metal shavings, oils, and other by-products of the manufacturing process for solid waste management.
During manufacturing, we follow stringent quality control processes to maintain the desired product quality. We follow SPC techniques and controls for measurement and monitoring of all critical operations and processes. As an ISO 9001:2015 certified company through TUV Nord, we follow all the guidelines laid down, and have regular surveillance audits in place. We also ensure that every engine, leaving our manufacturing setup, is tested and certified through the stringent PDI inspection process.
As the prime movers, engines are considered the heart of an equipment, be it construction equipment, trucks and buses which are all high utilization segments, with high to very high duty cycles and high operational demands. Engines play a crucial role in increasing the productivity of these machines and vehicles. One of the most significant ways in which engines contribute to productivity is through their power output. Modern engines are designed to provide higher levels of power with greater efficiency, enabling vehicles to perform tasks more quickly and effectively.
Weichai engines are robust and reliable, and compliant with all the norms. Our engines are designed and developed as per their application duty cycle and considering operation modes. Based on a careful selection of engine systems like cooling, air intake, exhaust and fuel system, as per the site conditions, we enhance our engines’ durability and reliability, ensuring the equipment‘s optimal performance in all kinds of operating environments.
The development of more efficient and cleaner engines has significantly contributed to lowering emissions and improving the air quality. Our products follow strict emission standards thereby contributing to the reduction of overall ill impact on environment by virtue of advanced emission control systems. Our engines not only comply with these standards but do so with a big margin, ensuring superior performance and improved positive environmental impact.
Due to the government’s focus on infrastructure development, the construction equipment sector is growing rapidly and so is the demand for our engines. In the current scenario, we have good demand coming for our CEV stage IV engines. With implementation of CEV Stage V from January 2025, we expect it to increase two-fold as we expect more and more OEMs to use our engines, which are already time tested and proven in Indian working conditions. Also, our engines cater to back-up power generation segments, which is at all-time high with an 8-10 % CAGR.
We are developing world-class products for our OEM partners and are meeting their demand through value engineering, timely services and after-market support. We liaise with the regulatory bodies and follow the laws of the land to comply with the norms and directives. We collaborate with them and participate in their conferences to make a positive impact by sharing our global expertise and experiences.
No doubt, the adoption of green technology comes with some unique challenges that hinder its widespread implementation, but this can differ from manufacturer to manufacturer. The foremost challenge is enhancing or making any changes in technology. Weichai always keeps ahead of technology development through continuous investments in R&D. Unlike many other manufacturers, we did not have to make many changes while transitioning from the mechanical to the electronic platform. This also helped us control our costs.
We have also optimized our components, especially in the On & Off highway vehicles and construction equipment. This has led us to faster adoption of the changes and in making advancements in our engines. Up-gradation of our engines as per the emission norms required adherence to different timelines of norm implementation which affected the speedy launch of our upgraded engines in the market. However, as a multi-segment company with a global presence, we had it all sorted well in advance and were ready for the market with all the necessary approvals. We are ready to garner a substantial business volume and cater to multiple segments with our range of world-class engines.
