Quality control was again a topic, actually the topic, with the presentation from Antonio De Bruijn, CEO, AMB International Ltd. He began with a call to test all supplier product—and even beyond that to the occasional retail test at the nozzle—as fundamental for DEF quality control. He noted it not only protects a company’s reputation—buy the liability concerns can be tremendous. Knowing specifically where a problem arose can be the key to a company’s survival if contamination occurs. He cited several cases where faulty product resulted in vehicle damage and downtime to the tune of $3-$4 million in damages.
The event featured a small solutions exhibit
High horsepower (>751) is an exciting application area for DEF distributors where volumes can be exceptional. Carlos Sustaita, high-horse power account executive, Cummins Inc., discussed the ramifications of the Tier 4 emission requirements in a range of non-road applications.
These applications include stationary, such as power generation; mobile, where the equipment moves from one site to another as required; circuit runs, that include mining haul trucks and commuter locomotives; and long distance, which would include barges and freight locomotives.
In the mobile realm, a fracking operation typically has 15 to 20 pressure pumps that run 18 hours per day at a site with DEF being approximately 4% of the diesel consumed. That could require 2,400 to 5,500 total DEF gallons per week.
In circuit run applications, a small site might use 2,200 gallons per week; a medium operation might require 7,900 gallons per week; and a large operation might require 21,000 gallons per week.
Filling contamination is more of a concern in these rougher environments.
Development of DEF in the Non-Road Sector
The panel discussion: “Development of DEF in the Non-Road Sector” continued the high horsepower discussion more broadly. As Integer noted, DEF supply to the non-road sector is experiencing the biggest growth, as more end-users adopt SCR equipment complying with Tier 4 final standards. Until now the sector has relied on drums and totes for DEF supply but, like the commercial vehicle sector, trends show that the move to bulk supply is increasing. This panel featured moderator Fabricio Cardoso, Integer senior analyst; Norm Winkler, National Sales Director, Titan Chemical Transfer Solutions; Stig Uhlen, National Sales Manager – West, Blue Sky DEF; Luke Van Wyk, General Manager, Thunder Creek Equipment; and Carlos Sustaita, High-horse Power Account Executive , Cummins Inc.
As previously noted, the non-road applications typically come with enhanced contamination concerns (though one panelist noted truck stops are not necessarily the most pristine of environments). The utility of adopting closed systems was discussed. As the panelists noted, agricultural cooperatives and agriculture in general have begun to develop an infrastructure for DEF but the market has been slowed by lower revenues and extended equipment lifecycles in that sector.
Education was cited as a must as panelists were starting to see some issues from poorly handled product.
The importance of planning was noted as it’s not good to either have too much storage on hand for the supply required or too little. It was debated how long DEF could stand in storage from a shelf life perspective. Some panelists stated successful product storage long past recommendations, while others noted that following specifications was important to make sure systems functioned appropriately and without potential damage. Off-highway systems can have more frequent fill requests than highway systems because of DEF tank sizing can often be more closely matched to the fuel filling cycle leading to more nozzle interactions and a greater contamination concerns.
It was noted that the different off-highway verticals—mining, agriculture, oil and exploration and rail have different needs and many complexities. Solutions have to be specifically developed to meet each application in each vertical.
One potential challenge noted was the possibility of some environmental backlash relative to the landfill disposal of 1 to 2.5 gallon jugs for those using that solution.
