Doosan Infracore inaugurated a small-sized diesel engine production plant within its manufacturing complex in Hwasu-dong, Incheon, and started mass production in earnest on October 26. In attendance at the inaugural ceremony were lawmaker Sang-eun Park, Incheon Mayor Young-ghil Song, Chairman Yongmaan Park of Doosan Group, Chairman Jeong-won Park of Doosan Corp, and CEO Yongsung Kim of Doosan Infracore.
The small-sized diesel engine plant, which was launched that day, includes processing and assembly lines, a production building equipped with test operation and painting facilities, and a soon to be built warehouse in a 14,000 sq. meter property. It is a state-of-the-art plant that is capable of monitoring in real-time all data related to production using electronic recognition systems. The plant will also adopt a “Vision Check” system, in which robots inspect the assembly conditions of products in the final phase of assembly, thus significantly enhancing quality management.
The plant will start production of 2.4-liter engines this year and production of 1.8-liter and 3.4 liter engines in 2013 to churn out a combined 10,000 engines for the three models. Through facility expansion in 2016, the plant will increase its production to 100,000 units. Over the long-term, it will expand this capacity to an annual output of 200,000 units.
Doosan Infracore will install the small-sized engines produced at the plant in small equipment produced by Bobcat from 2014 onwards. The engines to be installed in Bobcat’s equipment are eco-friendly, clean engines that meet *Tier 4 Final, the highest emission standards in the world.
Doosan Infracore started development of these small-sized engines in 2008 and has developed highly efficient engines that consume less fuel and do not require the addition of lubricant oil. Notably, ordinary engines use filters to meet the emission regulations, but Doosan Infracore’s small-sized engines have adopted innovative technology that adheres to the Tier 4 Final emission standards without the use of filters.
In his congratulatory remarks, Chairman Yongmaan Park of Doosan Group said, “The small-sized engines that we are starting to mass produce today offer high efficiency and high-performance, and are eco-friendly engines, and I expect that they will prove to be the momentum needed to upgrade Doosan Infracore’s engine business.” He added, “We will exert every effort to boost our fundamental competitiveness to prepare ourselves for the future.”
Doosan Infracore, which started engine production in 1958, and was the first company of its kind in Korea, has now consolidated its stature as a general engine producer by adding small-sized 1.8 liter to 3.4 liter engines to its existing lineup of mid- to large-sized engines of 6 liters to 30 liters.
＊Tier 4 Final Engine Emission Regulation
Tiers are the level of the emission regulation system set by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency. It comes with 1 to 4 levels, with the larger the number, the stricter the rule. Tier 4 Final(equal to Stage IV in the European standard) is the final phase and will be adopted in the U.S. and Europe from 2014. Currently, Tier 4 Interim(Stage IIIB in the European standard), or pre-Tier 4 Final, is being applied. Tier 4 Final entails that the levels of nitrogen oxide(NOx) and particulate matter (PM) be 90 percent less than those levels allowed with Tier 3.
