The business is focused around four key pillars – turbocharger sales and services, light automotive, heavy diesel and high-performance.

United Fuel Injection managing director Ken Ringrose said that it was all down to experience.

“Key to our ability to deliver the results that we do is our vast wealth of experience and knowledge, we’ve been doing it for 45 years,” he said.

“You can’t teach that.

“It can only be learnt through many years of experience.”

Typically, a turbocharger remanufacture will involve the stripping down of a turbo to assess the damage to components, and those components that have reached their finite service life.

Once a quote of the overhaul is provided to clients, the turbocharger components are cleaned, the turbo shaft is re-balanced, and all parts at the end of their service life are replaced.

For a common rail fuel injector remanufacture, the process is very similar – United Fuel Injection will strip, clean and then replace any necessary components.

If applicable, the company will also apply the trim codes – the codes for an Electronic Control Module (ECM) that determine for how long a fuel injector injects fuel into a cylinder.

When a client frustrated with the service life of its dump trucks, United Fuel Injection was called in for specialist advice.

“They were trying to get 6000 hours of service life from its turbos before a scheduled service, however they were constantly experiencing failure between 4000-6000 hours,” Mr Ringrose said.

By utilising the wealth of knowledge and understanding of the turbo components, United Fuel Injection was able to instantly identify the parts that were the weak/failing point of the turbo, and were able to modify and strengthen the components that caused the most common point of failure, allowing the client to consistently meet the 6000hr operation life before overhaul.

“This meant that they could continue to utilise the equipment and avoid costly downtime from unexpected maintenance,” Mr Ringrose said.

The company has established its name and reputation for quality work because of its continued investment in its team, and in the future of the business.

“Firstly, it’s our employees; we pride ourselves on having some of the most experienced staff in their relevant fields of speciality in Australia and in some cases the world,” Mr Ringrose said.

“Secondly, by constantly upgrading our equipment and refining our processes, and by sending our staff to training courses both in Australia and abroad, we make sure our staff are at the very forefront of industry knowledge.”

More information:

Phone: 1800 199 701
Website: www.unitedfuel.com.au

Email: info@unitedfuel.com.au

The post Turbocharging the industry appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

Each component in these engines is expensive and must be stripped, cleaned and machined to exacting tolerances in order for the rebuilt engine to give many thousands more hours of trouble-free operation.

In most instances, the downtime costs resulting from an engine failing in a large haul truck or excavator can approach the cost of the engine itself.

So the stakes are high and only the most experienced and trusted engineering workshops earn the right to bring these iron behemoths back to life year after year.

The Australian Mining Review recently visited R Moore and Sons Diesel Engineers, in Kewdale, WA.

This proud family-owned company has been in operation since 1920 and eagerly anticipates its 100^th anniversary next year.

That is a remarkable achievement for any company, enduring the great depression, a world war, the oil crisis and a host of other moments in history that sent lesser businesses to the wall.

Through it all, that sense of family remains and is apparent from the moment you walk through the door and are greeted with a warm welcome.

The sentiment is emphasised by the respect and teamwork that is evident between all employees, from the shop floor to the boardroom.

The scale of the operation and the quality and quantity of the precision machinery on hand is remarkable.

It is clear that only the best will do when it comes to producing the highest quality end result for each component from a 6t cylinder block to a 100g valve guide.

While the company does not actually build complete engines, it does strip, test, measure, analyse, report, repair, recondition, manufacture parts for them and dyno test them.

Each section of the workshop handles a different aspect of the process and the entire shop floor is arranged in a logical sequence from initial delivery to final despatch.

The following photos give a glimpse inside this impressive facility and provide an insight into some of the processes and equipment housed within.

This is by no means a comprehensive pictorial of every service and operation provided but it does focus on the main areas of reconditioning a large diesel engine.

As blocks, cranks, cylinder heads and other components come through the door they are stripped and thoroughly cleaned prior to inspection.

At this point a full report is done on each part, which is then sent to the client prior to work commencing.

The decks on this V16 block have been machined down to remove pitting and corrosion after thousands of hours of service.

R Moore & Sons installs its own liner seat inserts to seal the tops of the wet liners and support each cylinder head.

After this step the decks are reclaimed using metal arc thermal spray.

These Mazak CNC lathes manufacture liner sleeves and inserts from specially cast (in WA) pipe stock.

After metal spraying to reclaim the height of each deck and CNC milling to recut all the holes to perfect OEM specifications, the block is decked in a computer controlled Rottler mill.

Crankshaft grinding is as much an art as it is a science, and it takes an experienced operator and the highest quality equipment to produce perfectly round journals, with the correct surface RA finish and perfect fillets to resist cracking.

Big end and main bearing journal tolerances are measured in microns by a constant grinding gauge while grinding.

The camshaft is the computer of any engine, timing valve events to deliver torque and horsepower at specific rpm points.

Cam lobes are reground using separate master profiles for the intakes and exhausts.

Connecting rods must be resized to ensure that the big end is perfectly round once the cap is torqued to the required setting.

The big end often becomes oval after constant use and that is not a good thing for oil pressure or prolonged bearing life.

The little end bushes are also pressed out, replaced and then machined to OEM tolerances.

Rocker arm bushes are also replaced and machined to spec.

These CAT cylinder heads have been cleaned, machined, fitted with new guides and have fresh valve seats cut.

They await new springs, retainers, valves and collets before they find their way back onto the engine.

The cylinder head sits on a special assembly bench.

Here two brand new valve guides have been fitted and a third is being seated.

The guides are quenched in liquid nitrogen to shrink them prior to fitting (hence their icy exteriors) as they warm the form an interference fit with the cylinder head, locking them in place.

R Moore & Sons builds its own assembly jig to speed up the head building process and to ensure exact tolerances each time.

Here a custom-made press is used to push the guide into the head.

The steel collar ensures that each guide is installed to exactly the right depth.

A special fixture mounted to the press secures the retainer and allows the valve spring to be compressed while the collets are installed.

A look at the face of the new head showing a freshly milled surface and four brand new valves – ready for service.

The in-house dynamometer is rated to 1570kW (2100hp) and allows engines to be fully tuned and tested under load or varying duty cycles before they are shipped thousands of kilometres to site.

Dyno testing is the most reliable way to run-in a new engine, check for problems and ensure it is completely fit for duty prior to installation.

This dramatically reduces the risk of unexpected downtime due to the fitment of an untested engine.

Engine oil samples can also be taken after initial run time and returned within 24-hours to provide critical information on the type and quantity of any metals or other contaminants present in the oil.

Once again, it is cheaper and faster to check the health of a new engine before it heads off to site.

A view of the engine on dyno from inside the control room.

An enormous number of critical temperatures, pressures and flow rates can be monitored and logged in real time as the engine is put through loaded test cycles.

This engine has just returned from the engine builder, after reconditioning, and awaits dyno testing before returning to work.

Part of the diesel rebuilding process involves the reconditioning, repair and balancing of turbochargers.

These turbos are subjected to immense heat and their internals rotate at many thousands of rpm.

Dust ingress and oil sludge build-up over time lead to wear, a loss of efficiency and even complete failure.

Here a rebuilt turbo core is setup in the Schenck balancer. After balancing, this unit will be able to rotate to almost 100,000rpm without a hint of vibration.

Garret from R Moore & Sons mounts the exhaust housing to this newly rebuilt core.

The intake housing is already in place.

This completed turbo is fully rebuilt and balanced.  It is now ready for service once again.

Big diesels require large volumes of fuel under incredible pressure.

This manual test bench uses a piston to force diesel through the mechanical injector to test its flow and spray pattern before and after rebuilding.

Without a correctly operating fuel injector pump the engine cannot run at optimum efficiency.

This Bosch test unit allows the entire injection system to be tested and the volume of fuel flow through each individual injector to be measured.

Source:

R. Moore & Sons

(08) 6254 4300

www.moorediesel.com

The post Heavy metal appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

It’s tough on the miners, tough on the equipment, and it’s tough on the machines that keep it running.

These machines have to be heavy duty, reliable and precision-engineered to stand up to the testing conditions they are faced with every minute of operation time.

This means sub-standard equipment simply doesn’t cut it.

The best equipment is expensive – and rightly so.

When the engine reaches the end of its service life, the cost of replacement can be daunting.

Remanufacturing engines has always been the best option.

Recycling the parts is good for the environment and, more importantly, it is very good for the hip pocket.

Remanufacturing a worn out engine is a highly qualified skill.

Engines, particularly those working in extreme environments, require components machined to exacting tolerances.
OE Manufacturers design engines to be remanufactured: core components like the cylinder block, crankshaft and cylinder heads are designed for a second and even third life.

When the right people are on the job, tired old diesel engines can be transformed into the heavy-duty powerhouses that have been driving the Australian economy and reshaping its mineral-rich landscape for more than a century.

For more than 50 years, HM Gem Engines has been providing the automotive, bus, earthmoving, marine, power generation and truck engine repair industry with industry-leading remanufacturing services.

From the get-go, the company has been raising the bar in cutting-edge new remanufacturing techniques, and setting new standards for remanufactured engine performance expectations.

Quality accreditation to ISO 9001: 2015 ensures the company’s commitment to producing high quality remanufactured engines and machined components remains a top priority.

HM Gem has nine purpose-built workshops, from Adelaide to Cairns and every capital city in-between, all of which are equipped to machine heavy duty diesel components.

They have serviced BHP’s Olympic Dam and the South Australian gas fields, coal mines in Wollongong and the Hunter Valley right through to operations in the Surat Basin, Bowen Basin, Cairns and Weipa.

All of the company’s workshops have the necessary tools and equipment to remanufacture the smallest 2l engines from the worksite ute and van fleet, right up to the 91l Cummins V20 engine that is larger than most cars, and everything in-between.

HM Gem’s technical expertise has been built on knowledge gained from more than 50 years of service in the industry.

In this time it has forged a reputation for precision, reliability and timeliness that has led it to become the trusted authority, and an industry leader in engine remanufacturing.

This has resulted in a strong working rapport with many of the world’s leading OE manufacturers, including, Caterpillar, Cummins, MTU Detroit, Komatsu, Mack, Mercedes, Scania and Volvo.

HM Gem’s product range includes an extensive list of automotive exchange remanufactured long engines and cylinder heads, as well as new engine parts.

The company stocks full engine rebuild kits and new cylinder heads to suit most automotive, light commercial, petrol and diesel applications, but its bread and butter is in heavy duty diesel engine component machining the area that has given it its reputation.

Cylinder block machining

Diesel and petrol cylinder blocks from the small to the very large in both physical dimension and machinable surfaces can be accommodated.

Thorough cleaning, crack testing and precision bore and surface finishes are achieved using the industry’s latest available CNC machines.

Firstly, cylinder blocks have welsh and gallery plugs removed before the chemical cleaning process.

The block is then thoroughly inspected and all areas are crack tested and measured, including main tunnel bores and main tunnel centre line heights.

Cylinder block deck and counter bore recess areas are also checked to ensure they meet the OEM reusability guidelines.

The company can accommodate engines as large as the Caterpillar 35 series V20 and the Cummins QSK series.

Machining is carried out using the latest CNC technology by the industry’s highest qualified machine operators to achieve the highest standard in engine remanufacturing.

HM Gem can carry out cylinder block milling, counter-bore recess machining, stainless-steel water passage inserting, liner seat inserting and cam follower bore (inserting) as required.

And if the cylinder block main tunnel does not meet the reusability guideline, the company can machine that, too.

Once the machining is complete, cylinder blocks are given a thorough final quality inspection, and all parts are rinsed to remove excess residue before being prepared for shipping back to the customer.

Crankshaft grinding and micro polishing

HM Gem provides a cost-effective crankshaft reclamation service.

When a crankshaft arrives at HM Gem, a full survey report is completed.

Magnetic particle crack testing, Rockwell hardness checking, and journal radii measurements are all recorded to establish the components’ viability for re-use.

It is only after all these checks are completed that the machining process takes place.

Crankshafts up to 4m in length with a 300mm stroke can be accommodated.

The crankshaft is then ground to the next available undersize. All journal machining is carried out to manufacturer requirements.

The team will then micro-polish the crankshaft before completing the closing report to guarantee that the required specifications and finished sizes are completed to exact tolerances.

Just as with the crankshafts, camshafts are subject to a full survey inspection, including non-destructive magnetic particle crack-testing.

Once tested, camshafts are straightened, bearing journals polished, and cam follower lobes redressed.

Connecting rods

Connecting rod servicing is vital in the engine rebuild process.

Small-end bush replacement, proof and crack testing, broaching, pin boring, tunnel resizing, rod aligning and piston fitting ensure that the con rods can go the distance.

Cylinder head servicing

HM Gem has the largest cylinder head machining centres available in the industry.

Cylinder heads can be reconditioned at competitive prices using state-of-the-art computerised equipment.

The company will carry out a full survey report on every cylinder head to ensure OEM standards are met.

The team will also perform non-destructive magnetic particle crack-testing on components, as well as cylinder head crack and pressure testing.

If you need valve guides replaced, valve seat replaced and or cut, fire deck and or manifold face milled, flame rings re-cut and injector sleeve fitted and broached, the company offers these too.

Automotive exchange engines and cylinder heads

All workshops carry a large range of exchange automotive and light commercial petrol and diesel engines and cylinder heads.

All exchange products have a nation-wide 12-month factory-backed warranty and can be shipped to any part of Australia.

Whether your needs are for individual component machining, or engine assembly, HM Gem have the facilities, experience and capacity to professionally satisfy your needs.

More information:

Website: www.hmgem.com.au

Email: sales@hmgem.com.au

Phone: 1300 767040

The post No replacement for displacement appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

A glowing turbo exhaust housing can reach well in excess of 800 deg C, which far exceeds the flash point of

diesel and even heavy engine oil.

Any such fluid leaking or spraying onto such a surface will result in a significant fire that can jeopardise expensive machinery and worker safety.

The answer is to cover those dangerously hot components with a custom-fitted thermal blanket to insulate them from ignition sources and maintenance personnel.

Pyrotek designs and fabricates a wide range of thermal blankets and exhaust covers for use in the mining and oil and gas industries.

Mine-approved covers

Pyrotek’s mine-approved covers are made to meet strict criteria and have proven themselves in the harshest environments across the industry.

One criterion for mine approval is that they must be totally non-absorbent.

That is, the covers will not absorb fuel or oil – on the contrary, with an outer layer made of PTFE (teflon) or silicone-coated fibreglass, any liquid simply beads and runs off the surface.

Pyrotek actually goes one step further in its thermal blanket construction, by adding another layer of PTFE under the outer layer, just in case the top surface is worn or cut at any stage.

This extra layer of protection provides both added protection and longer service life for the covers.

To add strength, structural integrity and even longer life, Pyrotek’s covers feature an inner layer of knitted stainless steel mesh that sits directly against the hot face of the exhaust pipe.

For marine applications, IMO certified silicone-coated cloth can be used, which still repels fuel, oil and other chemicals, but has low smoke and low spread of flame characteristics that make it ideal for the confined engine room of a ship.

A fire at sea can be deadly, so thermally insulating any possible heat source is essential.

Laser cut patterns

All Pyrotek’s thermal blankets are custom-made to suit the particular application, ensuring perfect coverage of high temperature components.

The covers are tailored to fit, which is important in cramped engine compartments.

Once a template is made, it is digitised and stored on file so that it can be re-created at any future point in time.

When it comes time to fabricate the cover, each layer of each panel of material is precision laser cut for a perfect fit each time.

The cover is then assembled and stitched together by

qualified tradespeople at Pyrotek’s ISO9001 compliant manufacturing plant in Queensland.

Faster fitment and removal

The beauty of thermal blankets and exhaust covers is that they are easy to install, easy to remove (with the use of lacing hooks and wire, or springs and rings, belts and buckles, hook and loop, zippers or snaps) during maintenance work and easy to refit.

This translates directly to less labour hours required to complete a given job and therefore lower operating expenses.

Removal and replacement time savings of up to 70pc are regularly achieved when compared to conventional steel heat shields.

Energy efficiency

Thermal insulation has a number of benefits for both hot and cold applications.

Containing the heat in an exhaust system can lead to higher gas speed and greater engine performance – ask any race car engineer.

Keeping gases at a constant temperature is vitally important and that is why the pipework at gas plants is wrapped in foam glass and sheet metal insulation.

However, the valves and flanges cannot be covered in this way because access must be retained for bolts and valve controls during repairs and maintenance.

In order to insulate these areas, custom-made covers are used, which can be easily removed and replaced before and after servicing, and provide the required levels of thermal insulation to maintain the correct temperature for LNG in the pipe, for example.

Valve and flange covers are also used extensively in oil refineries, process plants and waste plant generators.

Pyrotek’s thermal covers are fuel and oil repellent, highly effective at insulating hot exhaust plumbing and turbocharger housings.

They not only significantly reduce the chance of fire but also protect personnel from burns and help reduce engine compartment temperatures to keep engine inlet temperatures down and improve the life of proximally mounted electronics.

They are also widely used for cryogenic applications where pipes, tanks and valves need to be insulated from external ambient temperature.

Source:

Pyrotek

1300 928 322

www.pyroteknc.com

The post Under wraps appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

The company is committed to tackling the issue of DPM (Diesel Particulate Matter) and exposure to harmful emissions for underground workers.

It offers a specialised range of DPF (Diesel Particular Filters) and Emission Control Solutions to directly address this problem.

Continual exposure to diesel emissions is hazardous and may result in long-term health problems and the risk of developing cancer.

DPM has been labelled as ‘the next asbestos’, and in 2012 diesel emissions were classified as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organisation.

Small particles, big problem

In response to addressing the issue of reducing diesel emissions, Aletek has developed a specialised range of emission control solutions.

As diesel engines have evolved to become the highly efficient machines that they are today, they have created a huge problem.

The issue is that engines now produce particulate matter well below one micron diameter, and these particles are now small enough to reach the alveoli of humans (the subtle respiratory membrane, a barrier that normally prevents particles from entering the bloodstream).

Nano particulates (50-1nm) are fine enough to translocate through the subtle respiratory membrane.

Trapping harmful DPM

Aletek Diesel Particulate Filters (DPFs) are designed to trap diesel particulate matter, opacity, carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from exiting the engine.

A vehicle or engine fitted with an Aletek diesel particulate filter operates normally, using only the heat generated in the exhaust gas to continuously burn off particulates in a continuous matter.

This process is known as regeneration and takes place whilst the engine is running.

For continuous regeneration to occur, the equipment must be operated so that its duty cycle produces exhaust temperatures greater than the balance point of the DPF for greater than 30pc of the time.

The required operating conditions of the DPF is for the temperature to remain over 350°C for 30pc of its time.

This will ensure that the filter passively regenerates without creating additional back-pressure.

How a DPF works

The catalytically-coated ceramic monolith contains long narrow channels open at one end and blocked at the other.

The exhaust gas is forced to escape by passing through the filter walls, trapping particulate matter (soot) in the filter.

At high exhaust gas temperatures, the soot particles burn away and transform into harmless carbon dioxide.

The filter also destroys carbon monoxide (CO) and diesel hydrocarbons (HC).

Aletek tailor-made DPFs

Aletek’s Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) product range has been specifically designed to combat the issue of DPM.

Its range of purpose-built DPFs includes wall flow DPFs, diesel oxidation catalysts and flow-through DPFs.

Aletek DPF product features include:

• DPF housings are designed, engineered and manufactured in-house
• Wall Flow (>99pc), Partial Flow (<66pc) and active regenerating configurations
• Manufactured from 304 grade stainless steel
• Heavy gauge 5mm and 8mm plate construction
• DCL premium cordierite substrates utilised

Aletek Wall Flow DPFs

Aletek Wall Flow (>99pc) DPFs provide maximum effectiveness in trapping Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) for a safer underground working environment.

An optional filter can be added to remove diesel nano particles which provide the highest human health risks.

These Wall Flow DPFs offer high diesel particulate reduction with minimal ongoing maintenance required.

Aletek Wall Flow DPF features include:

• Filters need no regeneration or fuel additives
• Retrofit in-line on the exhaust system or silencer muffler integration
• Back-pressure and temperature logger to ensure peak performance
• Tailor-made to suit Caterpillar, Epiroc, Jacon, Normet, Sandvik and Volvo underground mining vehicles

DPF data logging

It is critical that DPFs are fitted with data loggers.

The purpose of a data logger is to record the back-pressure, exhaust gas temperature and engine RPM.

This data is used to predict the lifecycle to schedule cleaning and analyse filter performance.

Aletek Data Logger features include:

• Stainless Steel IP66 enclosure
• ‘Plug n Play’ wiring harness
• Mil-Spec cable terminations with cannon fittings
• Stainless braided Teflon hose
• Dash-mounted data download
• Harnesses protected with fire-rated sleeve

Aletek’s data logger system has evolved to become a robust heavy-duty system that utilises the latest technology.

This system can be upgraded to assist maintenance planners in their work by offering real-time and semi real-time data transfer.

A data transfer upgrade utilises a Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and mobile network transfer system.

Onsite emission testing

Aletek’s auditing and onsite services are further complemented by onsite emission testing.

This allows maintenance personnel to monitor, track and control the emissions performance of each machine in your fleet.

Aletek’s DPF condition monitoring service provides reporting data on machine back-pressure and thermal performance to assist with your maintenance scheduling.

This service includes:

• nDPM ambient testing
• Third-party gravimetric testing
• Gaseous emissions testing
• Light scattering tailpipe testing

Talk to the DPF experts

Learn more about the DPF emission control solutions on the Aletek website.

Contact the company’s emissions control specialists for expert advice to suit your specific requirements.

East Coast:

Hayden Kirk: 0427 463 386

Email: hayden.kirk@aletek.com.au

West Coast:

Daniel Thomas: 0428 311 147

Email: daniel.thomas@aletek.com.au

Website: www.aletek.com.au

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/aletek-pty-ltd

The post Tackling DPM issues appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.

It takes a water brake engine dyno to pull down 5000lb/ft and hold that torque for accurate measurement and testing.

What is a dynamometer?

Water brake dynamometers have been around for decades and they basically work on the principle that water cannot be compressed; therefore if the engine is forced to work harder and harder driving a water pump that applies more and more resistance, in theory the dyno should be capable of stalling the engine.

As the engine works to overcome the load placed on it by the water brake, Newton’s law of equal and opposite reaction is put into practice and all that torque is also applied to a very accurate load cell.

If a given load is applied to a lever of a known length it is possible to calculate torque, and if rpm is then factored into that equation, horsepower can be calculated.

That, in the most simplistic of terms, is how an engine dyno functions.

Add modern electronic controls and the latest data logging modules and software to this platform, and the end result is a test bed capable of putting even the largest diesel engines to the test under partial or full loads, for extended periods of time if necessary.

Diesel Engines and Spares (DEAS) in Salisbury, Qld, have been rebuilding and testing diesel engines for many years – from the smallest utility motor to the largest earthmoving and mining powerplants.

The Australian Mining Review wanted a company to explain the benefits of dyno testing in the mining world and with DEAS’ years of experience and the fact that it strips, remanufactures or custom builds and then dyno tests its own engines, it was the perfect company to work with.

Naturally DEAS has a fully equipped workshop with all the necessary equipment and the qualified staff to build any engine for any customer – regardless of the size or complexity.  However, it was the cell out the back with “Dyno Room” painted on the door that we were interested in.

Lurking inside that sound-proofed room is a Taylor engine dynamometer capable of testing engines up to 1850hp and 5000lbs/ft.

Why dyno test?

The reasons engines require dyno testing are many and varied, but in the mining sector the high cost of the engines and the substantial costs incurred by machine downtime are the major contributing factors.

Prime examples of high cost installations are the engines DEAS re-manufactures for remote oil drilling sites in the highlands of PNG.

These engines are flown into site at great expense, so any repair or unexpected reliability issue comes at a significant financial cost.

The same is true of engines used in power generation, marine applications and earthmoving equipment.

According to Brad from DEAS, even minor leaks or performance issues can cause expensive downtime and unplanned operational costs.

“Access to the engines, once they are installed, is normally very restricted and most of the time they are housed in contaminated environments that are not suited for engine repairs,” he said.

So, dyno testing is insurance against potentially undiscovered issues that would only appear once an engine was delivered to site, installed and run for the first time.

However, for a low percentage of the overall re-manufacturing cost, the engine is test run to its maximum specification for a period of time.

This process is to test for leaks, correct engine operation, performance (torque and horsepower), optimum operating temperatures and pressures and other custom parameters.

Depending on the requirements specified by the client, measurements of all aspects of the engine can be measured in a controlled environment.

All measurements are corrected to one of the internationally recognised standards (STP, SAE and others) for air temperature and pressure.

This allows an engine to be tested in the warmth and humidity of a Queensland summer and then be re-tested in the depths of winter; and despite the changes in air density and humidity, the correction factor means that the results of each test will be scaled and therefore comparable.

The base measurements taken while the engine is on dyno are oil pressure, oil temperature, coolant temperature, exhaust temperature, boosted air intake temperature, boost pressure, fuel temperature, fuel pressure, fuel consumption, horsepower (kW), rpm, torque (lbs/ft or Nm) and many other readings depending upon the application.

In some instances, oil samples are taken from an engine after a predetermined number of hours on dyno, running through various load cycles.

With the engine still on dyno, the oil is sent to a laboratory for analysis – a bit like a blood test for an engine.

From the type and quantities of metals and contaminants in the oil, a skilled engine builder can determine whether the engine is behaving normally during its first few hours of life, or if there is an internal problem that warrants inspection.

Once again, any inspection or repair can be carried out at DEAS or the engine builder’s workshop – a far cheaper option than sending the engine back to site, paying for labour to re-install it and then doing it all in reverse when a problem is discovered.

The cost of extra machine downtime also needs to be factored into this expensive equation.

Emissions testing 

With additional sensors and data logging equipment, the dyno can also be used for very accurate emissions testing.

This is critical where an engine must meet internationally recognised emission levels before being permitted to operate in a given location.

DEAS has carried out tier certifications, underground exhaust filtration emission tests, fuel consumption tests, Lloyds marine certification tests and many more.

The resulting certification is proof that an engine meets those criteria and is fit for purpose.

Additional benefits

DEAS has also worked in conjunction with smaller companies doing their own research and development on areas such as diesel performance, next generation fuels and extended life engine projects.

The benefits of engine dyno testing extend beyond those of a simple quality assurance tool for the engine re-manufacturing industry.

As mentioned, it also assists in the continuation of advancement of the performance of diesel engines through R&D, running valuable engines in a controlled environment and utilising accurate instruments to significantly reduce the background noise in data readings to those taken in the field.

This ensures that the resultant data is credible and undisputed (some scientific papers have been published with reference to DEAS test facilities).

So, for peace of mind – get on the brake.

Source:

Diesel Engines and Spares.

(07) 3277 9295.

www.deas.com.au

The post On the brake appeared first on The Australian Mining Review.