A Decade of DEF: Maturity, Mandates, and the Hornet W85 DEF Pump timeline
A lot has happened in a decade, and if we look at the Hornet W85 DEF Pump timeline along with everything surrounding all the DEF regulations since Tier 2, we can see how much good work has been put in place in order to continue to clean up our environment.
The beginning: An outline of DEF mandates and how the W85 DEF Pump finds its place in the market The DEF industry as matured rapidly over the last ten years – from the initial 2 1/2 gallon jugs and 55 gallon drums, to a vast array of options available for bulk DEF, wet hosing, and bulk transfer. The transformation has been fascinating. At times, this amount of growth seemed unimaginable. The very first Hornet W85 DEF Pump was the new kid on the block. When it came across the pond and first arrived on US shores, its 10,000 RPM motor had too much muscle for that time. In a market landscape demanding 55 gallon drums and onnly a few 275 gallon totes, the Hornet W85 DEF Pump was dying to stretch its legs.
The mini bulk era and Tier 4: We all watched the next evolution of DEF, as the mini bulk era came to fruition, the market viewed the W85 Hornet from a different perspective. You could even say the industry was awakened and saw the evolution through a different lens. After tier 4 was deployed, mandating off-road and agricultural equipment to follow the strict guidelines of the new “anti-Nox’ movement, the market truly opened up and is the reason why the W85 Hornet exists today.
Fast forward to 2020: Ten years later after DEF was first introduced, we are in a very different landscape. Mini bulk is driving ROI conversations and pushing for better efficiencies. Bulk DEF is also creating the need for accessories, only capable of handling by the Hornet W85 DEF Pump. Long DEF hose reels, closed loop connections and double wall tanks come to mind, but how do these products enhance your systems and why do you need them? In order to innovate and evolve, we have to ask how and why.
Diving into the Hornet DEF Pump: We need to really dive into DEF and explore this pump more to understand its biggest differentiation that it brings into the new decade. Next time you sit in your car, take a look at your tachometer. Notice the red line and you will see what is the max revolutions per minute (RPMs) of your engine. Most will range from 6K-8K RPM. The Hornet was given a 10K RPM motor for a very important reason. We always look ahead in anticipating future growth. Here’s the how and why: Push through up to 100 feet of hose through a hose reel, 13 feet suction lift, truly continuous duty cycle to feed the needs of larger fleets, stainless steel internals for longevity and better heat dissipation. The hybrid – vane pump and centrifugal technologies built into one UL and CSA approved solution.
A new decade: This new decade is destined to bring even more opportunities to new market segments and niche markets alike. End users are asking for the Hornet W85 by name because of its real world success and adaptability. In order to change, we must also learn from the past… The following is a summary of the DEF timeline from a regulatory point of view.
DEF regulatory timeline: The industry will continue to see changes and more stringent regulations, as the world evolves with it.
Tier 1- The Clean Air Act first set out emissions rules for cars, pickup trucks, and SUV’s as part of a set of amendments in 1990.
Tier 2- These new standards were adopted in December 1999, with an implementation schedule of 2004 to 2009. Under Tier 2 federal regulations, emissions limits were made more stringent and the same emission standards were applied to all non-commercial vehicles under 10,000 lbs and commercial vehicles under 8,500 lbs. This meant passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs all become subject to the same rules and, because the standards are expressed in terms of emissions per mile, larger vehicles require more advanced engine and after-treatment. The EPA guidelines stipulated in 2001 that models manufactured from January 2010 must reduce PM emissions to 0.01 per brake horsepower hour (g/bhp-hr) and NOx emissions to 0.20 g/bhp-hr. A ‘phase-in’ period allowed NOx emissions of 1.2 g/bhp-hr by 2007. The EPA implemented a bank and trade system for NOx, which meant manufacturers who exceeded the requirements before 2010 (such as Cummins and Navistar) could accrue NOx credits which could be used to sell models producing emissions above the standard after the deadline.
Tier 3- The EPA is proposing to update the standards. The new, improved version – called Tier 3 kept the proven approach of treating vehicles and fuels as an integrated system. The new proposal would strengthen the earlier standards in order to reduce the pollutants from both gasoline and auto emissions standards in the most cost-efficient ways possible. The proposed Tier 3 standards were also designed to work in harmony with American, new clean car standards, which will improve fleet-wide fuel efficiency in new cars to 54.5 miles per gallon by the year 2025, and with California’s state standards, which are already stricter than the national average.
Tier 4- In 2004, the EPA issued its final program to reduce emissions from off-road diesel engines, to be phased-in from 2008 to 2015. The Tier 4 off-road rule established new emissions standards and test procedures, and led to the implementation of Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology by a number of manufacturers. The exhaust standards require emissions of PM and NOx be further reduced by about 90% from Tier 1-3 standards. Beginning in 2008, the new Tier 4 Interim engine standards for power categories of engines from under 25 hp to above 750 hp have been phased in. Tier 4 Final standards will be implemented for all engine power categories by 2015. Each of the major off-road engine manufacturers confirmed the use of SCR for engines above 75 hp in their product range for Tier 4 Final.
Tier 5- The current regulatory environment means that it is unlikely that regulators at the EPA will implement stricter Tier 5 standards anytime soon. However, diesel engine technology will continue to advance and improve as private industry seeks to develop machines that can be exported to Europe. For the time being, should there be a tier 5 introduction, it should be easy to meet with off the shelf items.
The Hornet W85 DEF Pump timeline is fascinating, full of growth and opportunities that have opened the doors for Mini Bulk tank packages, wet hosing units, truck belly boxes and many more success stories. Here is to the next 10 years.. from one Super hero to the next… to infinity and beyond!
