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Market Report: Portable Power Engines of change Manufacturers and engine suppliers are working closely to ensure products meet the requirements of legislation and the needs of hirers. It is all too easy to overlook the engines that drive much of the equipment in hirers’ fleets, but they are obviously crucial. With ever tighter regulations concerning noise, vibration and emissions, manufacturers have developed new models to address these requirements while maintaining optimum power. “OEMs such as us obviously monitor forthcoming legislation and adapt accordingly,” states Rob Caddy, UK Sales Director of the Belle Group. “Probably the first changes to significantly affect equipment offered by hirers came in the early 1990s, with new legislation governing noise produced by welding machines. Similar measures soon applied to other products like generators and compressors. Great care has to be taken in the design stages to ensure that fitting a different engine does not adversely affect a machine’s characteristics.” John Day, General Manager of the Industrial Engines Division of EP Barrus, which distributes Yanmar power units, states that the company “is receiving more and more requests from OEMs seeking new engine solutions. Challenges often have to be overcome, such as reducing emissions without raising operating temperatures. “Manufacturers want engines that give maximum performance and which will comply with regulations expected over the next, say, five years. We worked with Thwaites to incorporate our TNV water-cooled diesel engines in its Alldrive wheeled dumpers from 1-4.5 tonnes. We developed configurations to achieve optimum levels of noise, emissions and torque. Today’s diesel engines feature advanced technology that gives better performance and some have self-diagnostic capabilities. Nowadays, mechanics virtually arrive with a laptop instead of a toolbox.” Amongst its range of activities, Seddons (Plant & Engineers) Ltd is a dealer for Honda engines. The company is also a dealer for manufacturers of machines ranging from pumps, generators and tracked dumpers up to mini excavators, and it supports various other engine brands such as Yanmar, Lister-Petter, Kohler, Robin and Hatz. “We realise that we do not just offer finished products, we also provide complete service solutions,” contends Phil Winnington, Sales & Marketing Director. “To a hire company, the engine is as much of an asset as the product it powers. If we can supply our customer with replacement engines and related parts, instead of him having to source from multiple companies himself, it simplifies his supply chain. For example, Winget mixers are available with Lister-Petter hand-start diesel engines, Yanmar electric start diesel power units or Honda petrol engines. We provide support for all of them.” Paul Bramhall, Product Category Manager for Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power, contends that new legislation and the quest for greater efficiency represents a huge opportunity for engine manufacturers. “We undertook research to find out exactly what the hire market requires of suppliers. This looked firstly at OEMs, who determine the availability and engine options offered to hire on a variety of equipment. Those interviewed felt that the hire market demands a specific engine brand on core products. However, hire companies themselves indicated that, while most customers may specify a machine and model they want, they do not specify an engine brand. Their main concerns are efficiency, economics, reliability and safety. Customers are open-minded with regards to engine brand as long as the equipment fulfils or exceeds their demands.” Briggs & Stratton Commercial Power has worked closely with OEMs across Europe including, Belle, Sisis and Harrington Generators, on machines such as commercial mowers, welders, and concrete finishing equipment suitable for hire markets. John Day of EP Barrus would seem to confirm that such a fluid situation exists when he suggests that “new legislation has thrown everything wide open with regard to engine selection. Equipment manufacturers are paying more attention than perhaps ever before to the choice of power units they incorporate in their products, even if they remain with the same supplier.” • Executive Hire News › Archives › September 2006 › Market Report › Engines of change
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