Impco Gets Orders From India … Catalytic Converter Substrate Plant For China … Dana Agreement For Sealing Products In Japan … Volvo To Build Trucks In Iran … Toyota To Build Diesels In U.K

Diesel Progress North American Edition, May, 2001 by Mike Mercer

Impaco Technologies Inc. the Cerritos, Calif-based supplier of alternative fuel systems technology and components for internal combustion engines announced it received an initial order from Cummins India for $1.1 million worth of natural gas fuel systems for buses and trucks. Orders for additional products and systems are pending. The bus and truck market for alternative fuels in India is estimated at over $1 billion. In other Impco news, the company recently announced that it was awarded a $4 million contract from Indian bus manufacturer Ashok Leyland.

Corning Inc. a supplier of catalytic converter substrates, opened a new $77 million environmental technologies production facility in Pudong, Shanghai, China. The wholly owned Corning operation produces ceramic catalytic converter substrates for use in automobiles and trucks. Shipments of products began in early 2001. The new manufacturing operation joins Corning's global network serving vehicle and catalytic converter manufacturers worldwide. Corning currently manufactures catalytic converter substrates in Erwin, N.Y., Blacksburg, Va., and Kaiserslautern, Germany. In June 2000, the company opened a substrate manufacturing facility in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Corning operates catalytic converter substrate sales and customer service offices in Tokyo, Japan; Seoul, South Korea; New Delhi, India; Sydney Australia; Singapore; Taipei, Taiwan; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Wiesbaden, Germany; Troy Mich.; and Corning, N.Y.

Dana Corp. announced a collaboration agreement with Japanese sealing supplier Nippon Reinz. Nippon Reinz is owned by Dana and Mitsubishi Cable Industries Ltd. The agreement, which calls for Nippon Reinz to provide customers with a total sealing package under the Victor Reinz-Japan marketing identity, represents a strategic addition to its global sealing system capabilities, Dana said. The two companies have agreed to market as one entity where customer needs require and will share technology as well as production, engineering and marketing resources.

Volvo Trucks signed a new cooperative agreement with Saipa Diesel in Iran for the manufacture of heavy trucks. Volvo said its aim is to produce 1500 units per year. Since the early 1970s, Volvo Trucks said it has supplied more than 40,000 heavy trucks to Iran. In some years, Volvo's supplies to Iran have totaled between 4000 and 5000 heavy trucks annually. The new agreement was signed in October of last year and was recently approved by the Ministry of Industry in Iran. It covers the introduction of the FH12 and NH12 trucks to

Iran and it also gives Saipa Diesel the possibility of local manufacture of truck components under the supervision of Volvo Trucks.

Toyota Motor Corp. said it will make diesel engines at its Deeside plant in the U.K. beginning in 2003. The company said it would also create 250 jobs at the unit in north Wales, which currently produces gasoline engines. The introduction of diesel engine assembly and the expanded production of gasoline engine machining could more than double present levels at the Deeside plant to 400,000 units in 2003, Toyota said. With this, Deeside will become the major engine production center for its European operation. The diesel engines to be produced in Deeside from 2003 are currently made in Japan and exported to Europe.

Ford Motor Co. has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and Thailand's National Metal and Materials Technology Center to develop bio-ethanol fuel for diesel vehicles in Thailand. Under the agreement, the three parties will conduct detailed research on car performance, combustion, engine corrosion and fuel economy for using dieseohol, a mixture of diesel and 10 percent ethanol in Ford Ranger vehicles. The one-year project has a budget of nearly $70,000. According to PTT, the collaboration is an initial stage before a commercial launch of dieseohol into the market. If the results of the project are satisfactory in terms of fuel economy and car performance, PIT will produce dieseohol to serve local demand.

Scania Bus Nordic AB has secured an order for 91 buses from Combus, one of Denmark's leading bus operators. Scania bad signed a main supplier contract with Combus last year and this order is a result of that, according to the company The contract covers the years 2001 and 2002. Most of the buses that have been ordered will be delivered this year. The greater proportion will be built at Scania's Danish production unit in Silkeborg, on chassis produced in Katrineholm. The company is jointly owned by Arriva in Britain and Connex in France.