A drive to develop more fuel-efficient diesel engines for trucks is being led by a Huddersfield engineering firm.
And the work soon to get under way at Turnbridge-based Cummins Turbo Technologies could also help cut fuel consumption for heavy-duty engines fitted into monster machines used in quarrying and mining as well as industrial applications such as power generation, cement manufacture and waste disposal – broadening the markets available to the firm.
The company, which employs more than 1,000 people at its St Andrew’s Road site, has long been famed for making turbochargers for truck manufacturers such as Scania, Iveco, MAN, Volvo and DAF.
Now it has unveiled a new £1.7m test lab alongside its technical centre at St Andrew’s Road to develop a system for recovering waste heat generated by truck engines and re-using it to increase overall engine efficiency.
Huddersfield MP Barry Sherman and Clr Peter McBride, cabinet member for regeneration at Kirklees Council, officially opened the highly-technical new facility, which was designed and built in-house in less than three years by members of the company’s advance manufacturing team.
Jonathan Wood, site leader and director of research and engineering, said: “Research and development is at the core of our business and our St Andrew’s Road technical centre is a major part of this.
“We have been working on an engine waste heat recovery research programme for the last few years at our Huddersfield site after receiving funding through the Regional Growth Fund in October, 2011.
“We have extended this work to cover a larger range of diesel and natural gas applications and we are carrying out vital research on this green technology, which recovers waste heat from various points of the engine and uses it to increase overall efficiency.”
Mr Sheerman described Cummins Turbo Technologies as the “beating heart of manufacturing in Huddersfield” and stressed the importance of “high-end” manufacturing. He said: “If we don’t make ‘clever stuff’ we will not generate the wealth we need to enjoy a good quality of life.”
Opening the new facility, he said: “This is welcome for news for Huddersfield. This significant investment in research and development indicates Cummins’ commitment to retaining engineering excellence in the region. Importantly, it also enhances Huddersfield’s position at the heart of global automotive technologies.”
Clr Mr Bride said: “Cummins is one of our key employers, working in our priority areas of precision engineering and innovative manufacturing, so it is excellent news that they are investing so heavily in research and development at the current site and retaining their wealth of knowledge and their commitment to developing skills in Kirklees.”
