Propelling Into New Markets
The intent and structure of emissions standards vary greatly around the world.
From Stage V emissions regulations in Europe to Final Tier 4 in the United States, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have a lot to consider when it comes to engine applications in their equipment as they look to serve customer markets around the globe.
For Brazilian harvester manufacturer Colombo Group, differences in emissions regulations between the U.S. and Brazil posed a challenge when the company looked to bring its AVANTI C410 self-propelled harvester to the U.S. market.
History of Innovation
Headquartered in the city of Pindorama, São Paulo, Brazil, Colombo Group has been in the agricultural machinery and implements market for more than 50 years. It is Brazil's largest manufacturer of harvesters for peanuts and edible dry beans and components such as PTO driveshafts and U-joints.
Driven by creativity, Colombo Group is always looking for new and innovative ways to refine its equipment and make operations in the field easier for farmers.
This drive to deliver dependable equipment performance and efficiency led the company to develop its first-ever self-propelled machine, the AVANTI C410. The harvester serves the peanut market as well as growers of soybeans, corn, and other grains.
Self-propelled equipment delivers increased productivity, precision, and efficiency when compared to its pull-type counterpart.
Meeting Emissions Standards Stateside
Colombo Group launched the AVANTI C410 in the South American market in 2017. After that successful launch, the company wanted to offer the self-propelled harvester in the U.S. But before bringing the machine stateside, Colombo Group needed to make sure that it met U.S. emissions standards.
To prepare the AVANTI C410 for the U.S. market, Colombo Group needed a robust power source that would add even more value to its harvester, and a partner that would serve them with speed and efficiency.
They found all this in John Deere Power Systems (JDPS) engine distributor Flint Power Systems. Colombo Group had an existing relationship with the distributor through its North American subsidiary Colombo North America.
"We saw an opportunity to help meet the needs of the North American peanut market with our self-propelled technology and specifically with the AVANTI C410 but needed help to get there," said João Vitor Ferreira Ocamoto, product development specialist for Colombo Group. "Flint Power Systems helped make it possible and provided quick and efficient support along the way as we worked to bring our product stateside."
Flint Power Systems leveraged its engineering expertise to help Colombo Group identify and integrate an industrial engine that would meet all of the company's needs.
"Our team of experts worked with Colombo Group to determine their design and power needs and helped to engineer a custom powertrain package that provided the rugged power, performance, and emissions compatibility that they were looking for," said Jason Scott, territory sales manager for Flint Power Systems.
The quality of John Deere engines is exceptional, especially when it comes to the power they deliver and their quiet operation.
Meeting Emissions Regulations
Brazil's emissions standards differ from U.S. regulations. Currently, heavy-duty off-highway equipment must meet emissions regulations known as Final Tier 4 in the U.S.
Final Tier 4 standards regulate the amount of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) that can be emitted from an off-highway diesel engine. Control technologies such as advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment can help to achieve these emission reductions.
Colombo Group and Flint Power Systems needed to find a power solution that would work within the footprint of the harvester and be Final Tier 4 compliant. Together, the companies landed on the 6090CI550 9.0L industrial diesel engine to power the AVANTI C410 in the U.S. The 6090CI550 9.0L industrial diesel engine meets both U.S. EPA Final Tier 4 and European Stage V emissions standards as well as regulations laid out by the California Air Resources Board.
"What we like most about John Deere engines is the ease of installation. With the AVANTI C410 we didn't have to change anything physical in our product's footprint," Ocamoto said. "All we had to do was connect an interface harness and we were able to communicate with the machine. We needed to do some programming so that the machine could receive information from the engine related to aftertreatment and regeneration of the aftertreatment system."
Flint Power Systems helped to oversee the application and field testing of the AVANTI C410 and worked to ensure that the engine delivered the power and performance that was needed to propel the machine while still remaining compliant with U.S. emissions regulations.
After successful field testing, the AVANTI C410 was ready to go to market in the U.S.
Exceptional Power and Customer Support
Since bringing the AVANTI C410 to the U.S., Colombo Group has received positive feedback from customers who have been pleased with the machine's performance and the efficiency it brings to their farming operations.
"The quality of John Deere engines is exceptional especially when it comes to the power they deliver and their quiet operation," Ocamoto said. "We couldn't have done this without Flint Power Systems. They served us quickly and efficiently and helped give us confidence in the quality of the product."
