Small pressure sensors from Danfoss, installed on the big diesel and highpower engines from Cummins, play an important part in helping the engines comply with US emissions legislation. Cummins’ engines are in high demand, making quality a key issue in order to keep production on track.
“We are running at full production capacity at the moment and need to optimise production to keep up. Faulty parts delay production lines, which is why we cooperate with our suppliers to make sure that their products are of a consistently high quality,” says David Owen, Quality Improvement Engineer at Cummins who visited Denmark in March to review the dedicated production line and quality procedures for the small, yet important sensors.
“The sensors measure oil pressure, exhaust gasses and overall engine efficiency, for example. It is a relatively inexpensive part but without sensors we have no engine,” he says.
The review went well and Terence Byrne, application manager at Danfoss, is pleased that the sensor production gained Cummins’ approval.
“We know that once installed they just run and run, but it is nevertheless good to hear that our efforts to ensure quality sensors have been well received,” he says, and adds that Danfoss still faces a challenge with respect to delivery service, which has not been satisfactory for Cummins or Danfoss.
“It has been a tough battle to get our deliveries on track, but during the last few weeks we have seen that we are on the right path. Now we need to keep it up,” he says.
Cummins Inc. is a worldwide producer of heavy diesel engines and high-power equipment. With headquarters in Columbus, Indiana (USA), the company sells a wide range of engines and related technologies to the marine and power generation industries, for example, with customers in more than 160 countries.