The first of Cummins’ off-highway QSM engines slated for the January 2005 emission standards has been certified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

The EPA has certified the engine as compliant to the Tier 3 standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). Cummins is the first manufacturer to receive a Tier 3 Certificate of Conformity from the EPA.

In June of 2002, Cummins announced it would use an in-cylinder solution to meet the Tier 3 emissions requirements. The manufacturer has achieved this first with the QSM and expects the rest of its Tier 3 product line to follow suit.

“We are committed to providing our customers solutions that drive the lowest possible installation impact at the lowest possible cost,” said Jim Kelly, Cummins vice president and general manager for the company’s midrange and heavy-duty business. “We understand the unique challenges of off-highway applications and believe…that the Cummins Tier 3 architecture will extend into 2015 and Tier 4 with the addition of aftertreatment. This gives our customers the maximum possible platform stability in the face of coming requirements.”

Cummins met the challenge of the Tier 3 reductions thanks to the company’s extensive combustion research, said Bharat Vedak, Cummins vice president for industrial customer engineering.

“Our Tier 3 engines will have an in-cylinder solution that reduces NOx by 40% without the use of expensive external hardware. Economy and emissions reductions are two parameters that are generally in competition with one another but it’s a great battle that we are winning,” said Vedak. “With the certification of the QSM completed early, our development will focus on further improvements in fuel economy and reliability to exceed our commitments to customers,” he said.

The Cummins QSM11 Tier 3 will go into production in July 2004 with its advanced in-cylinder combustion recipe and an identical footprint from its Tier 2 predecessor that minimizes any installation impacts for OEMs. The 11-litre, six-cylinder is rated from 290 – 400 hp and employs the CELECT TM fuel system with advanced electronic controls.

For more details visit www.cummins.com.