Celebrations all round

By Colin Windell

 

 

Despite everything the world economy has thrown at it, to say nothing of competition from Japanese, Korean, European and Chinese markets, Detroit, Michigan remains the heart of the US auto industry – and it celebrates its 80^th anniversay this year.

Part of that celebration is the recent announcement of the production of the millionth millionth heavy-duty engine platform (HDEP) engine.

The HDEP line was introduced in 2007 and was jointly developed in Germany, Japan and the US. The platform has 90% shared parts globally, which provided cost savings and improved reliability, the company claims.

“Detroit will continue to leverage the power of Daimler’s global resources to push the envelope with transformative technology and products, so that we can continue to exceed customer expectations in all dimensions,” says Rakesh Aneja, head of powertrain engineering, DTNA. “We are fiercely proud of what we have been able to accomplish in the last 80 years, including the inspirational HDEP success story. Our best, however, is yet to come!”

Added Matt Pfaffenbach, head of powertrain opertaions, DTNA: “We are proud of the collaboration behind the development of our heavy-duty engine platform, and pleased our customers continue to achieve significant gains in fuel efficiency and productivity with our engines. Throughout our history we have pioneered new products and technological advances by anticipating the demands of our customers, and our newest innovations continue that legacy of achievements in engineering.”

The Daimler Heavy-Duty Engine Platform (HDEP) is a line of diesel engine sold under the Detroit Diesel, Mercedes-Benz, and Mitsubishi Fuso brands. The global family of engines developed in Germany, Japan, and the United States share common parts and modules.

The first engine in the HDEP line, the 14,8-litre Detroit Diesel DD15, was introduced in October 2007. Mitsubishi introduced its 12,8-litre 6R10 in 2010. Mercedes-Benz introduced engines the following year.

The HDEP engines employ Daimler's BlueTech selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process in conjunction with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR), a diesel particulate filter (DPF) and a diesel exhaust catalyst (DOC) to reduce emissions.

The European engines were introduced in 2011 as Euro 6 compliant. Euro 5 and EEV options were also available until 2013. Mercedes-Benz introduced the next generation Euro 6 OM471 (12,8 litre) engine in July 2015. The updated engine boasts a three percent reduction in fuel consumption and an increase in torque.