Working toward a cool future: EMP focusing on advanced engine thermal management technology while maintaining core manufacturing expertise
There is no single road to success in business. Some companies find a core skill or product and are able to leverage it, with few changes, for decades. Others start out with one kind of product, technology or capability, yet over time are able to remake themselves into something altogether different than how they started out.
Even rarer are those companies that can manage to do both at the same time. A case in point is Engineered Machined Products.
EMP is a 23-year-old company that initially earned its reputation as a successful precision machining company and a manufacturer of some basic engine components--mechanically driven water and lube pumps for engines, etc. Starting out in 1992, the company's sales have grown from approximately $8.9 million to more than $290 million in 2003--much of that is the direct result of its high volume manufacturing of oil rails, front and rear covers, cylinder heads, etc.--for many of the leading engine and equipment manufacturers. And as that part of the business expanded, the company has continued to invest in it to the tune of more than $40 million in new manufacturing technology over the last several years, including robotic automation, along with an additional $5.8 million as part of a facilities expansion near its headquarters in Escanaba, Mich.
But for all of its manufacturing success, it's the revolutionary work the company has done in the field of engine thermal and fluid management that catches the eye. A significant supplier of engine water pumps to the diesel and high performance gasoline engine markets nearly since its reception, the company has begun to explore new technologies for managing heat in engines. These include computer controlled electric fan systems, electric thermostats and valves, electric air pumps and complete cooling modules along with advanced lube filtration systems
"If you look at diesel engines today; you see some of the most sophisticated computer controls anywhere onboard," said David Allen, vice president of product development at EMP. "And yet about 33% of the energy that the engine is putting out--in some cases more is going through the cooling system and it's virtually the same cooling system that's been there for 100 years.
"We as a nation, in trying to become mote energy efficient, have spent all of our resources on the other 67% and it's just about tapped out. You look at the curve and we're spending literally billions to get another 1/2 to 1% improvement when there is all this lush real estate sitting there in the cooling system and it hasn't been touched yet. Everything changes or it stays the same and we thought the industry needed a change."
To bring about that change, EMP has developed a series of" advanced products--some of which have already been marketed by its Stewart performance aftermarket division and/or been applied in military prototypes--designed to bring new performance and capabilities to cooling and fluid handling applications. These include:
* Electric coolant pumps that incorporate a patented flow-thru diffuser design that allows for extremely high efficiency--as much as 35% over conventional volute style pumps--in a small and easily adaptable package. Available for high performance engines through Stewart, it is in development for diesel engine applications in flow ranges from 10 to 500 gpm and larger. The electric motors are brushless and can be continUed through CAN or PWM controls and, as it operates independent of engine speed, it can allow for smaller radiators and better control of fan run time, the company said. It is suitable for a variety of applications, including engine, hydraulic and transmission cooling, charge-air cooling, EGR system cooling and even fuel cell cooling.
* Electric thermostats/valves engineered to improve upon the performance and temperature control of conventional thermostats. Controlled through CAN or PMW systems, the thermostats can result in decreased energy draw and better fuel economy through higher average engine temperature. The unit also offers complete component and system diagnostic capabilities.
* Electric air pumps. Fans and other air-moving devices can account for some of the highest parasitic losses on any engine-driven vehicle or equipment. EMP's fans can be placed strategically where needed in the cooling system or vehicle and can be configured to accommodate applications where both pressure and airflow are required. As with all of EMP's products, the electric fans can be interfaced with CAN or PMW controls to provide maximum efficiency and they can be used for engine, hydraulic, transmission and EGR cooling or anywhere else airflow is needed.
* Complete cooling modules, which can incorporate the fan, radiator, electric pump and thermostat into a single drop-in module able to interface with on-board electronic controls to provide maximum cooling performance.
* Advanced fluid management systems, including electric oil and fuel pumps designed to increase engine life while decreasing energy draw; fluid level sensing devices that can automatically check fluid levels; and oil filtration and make-up systems.
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