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Tognum Group recently announced a new manufacturing location in the United States and its strategy for upcoming emissions regulations. The Graniteville, SC, plant, which will produce MTU’s 2000 and 4000 series engines, is expected to make its first diesel engine in  October.

The Friedrichshafen, Germany-based company will be investing $45 million in the 100-acre site outside of Graniteville, an old mill town near Aiken, SC. The former SKF plant includes an existing 270,000 sq. ft. building with assembly, inspection and production facilities. In addition to the assembly of engines, the factory will be used for the manufacture of engine components such as cylinder heads and high-volume engine attachments and fittings. The premises also include the possibility of increasing production capacity and testing.

The sales organization, management and the entire office staff of Tognum’s North American subsidiary MTU Detroit Diesel will remain in Redford, a suburb of Detroit.

As the company moves production out of its rented space in Michigan, engine production will stop in Detroit this summer and be transitioned over eight weeks to South Carolina. MTU has several strategies in place to ensure customers continue to get engines during the move, including building some of its engines at existing plants in Germany.

There will be no blackout period for our customers, says  MTU Detroit Diesel CEO Matthias Vogel. “We will cover our customers all the time.”

The company’s expansion plan was originally announced in the fall of 2008, but was shelved because of the global economic crisis. The group decided to look for an existing building, rather than develop a greenfield site, says Dr. Ulrich Dohle, member of the Tognum executive board for Technology & Operations. “If we had not found a location like this we probably would not have moved.”

The site, located close to I-20, offers ideal conditions for the transport of components throughout North America. The seaport of Charleston, SC, for shipments overseas is less than 130 miles away.

The Tognum Group has manufacturing and assembly sites worldwide, two of which are located in the United States.

New engines
At the recent bauma trade show in Munich, Germany, MTU also announced its engines for the upcoming emissions regulations..

“We are already in a position to show customers our solutions for 2014 and those solutions not only meet the targets, they do it on less fuel”, said Rainer Breidenbach, Tognum COO with responsibility for the business unit Engines.

In the range up to 560 kW, from 2014 MTU will be extending its range of construction and industrial (C&I) engine products below the Series 1600 with new 4- and 6-cylinder engines designated Series 1000, Series 1100, Series 1300 and Series 1500. Right from their introduction in 2014, these engine series will meet EU Stage IV and EPA Tier 4 final specifications and will be equipped with exhaust gas recirculation, diesel particulate filters and SCR systems.

10V and 12V 1600 engines for C&I and mining applications extend the program up to 730 kW. These meet EPA Tier 4 requirements using exhaust gas recirculation and do not need either diesel particulate filters or SCR units. In order to meet stringent emissions limits while also keeping complexity to a minimum for its customers and achieving even lower fuel consumption, MTU has placed particular emphasis on optimizing the combustion process.

For EU Stage III B and EPA Tier 4 interim, which come into force from 2011, MTU will be supplying engines in the range up to 560 kW with an integrated SCR unit. This technology was selected in cooperation with major customers and allows OEMs to convert their vehicles and equipment for 2011 emissions targets with the least possible outlay. This approach also brings additional benefits in the form of reduced fuel consumption.

Legislative requirements mean that further development of Series 2000 and Series 4000 to comply with EPA Tier 4 interim and Tier 4 final is primarily aimed at the US market. The first public presentations are scheduled for 2011 at  trade events in the United States.