WE NEED SPANISH TRANSLATION OF THIS…
Customers in Latin America, Africa and other places have noticed equipment has now ceased being sourced from the USA. “Why?” they ask. In short, it’s the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing engine carbon emissions with compliance beginning in February 2005. The five (5) phases of emission reductions are commonly referred to as “Tiers”, which define the generations of machines equipped to meet the agreed standards.
All manufacturers delivering machines for use within the borders of signatory nations (USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Western European Countries, etc) must comply with these ever more stringent emissions standards. Because the most recent phase (Tier IV-interim) included more “particulate scrubbing equipment” on the engines and need for low-Sulphur fuel, these machines are not used elsewhere without removing the emissions equipment.
For Tier IV-interim compliance all equipment manufacturers (CAT, Volvo, Komatsu, Deere, Hitachi, etc) designed systems to meet the standards with varying success and acceptance in the USA market. In general the solutions provided were not satisfactory for the owner-operator as engines in these machines require a “regeneration” daily to incinerate the captured particulates within the systems. The common negative effect has been frequent downtime when operators forget to “regen” and the machine goes into shut-down mode requiring a factory authorized service technician to reset the emission system: expensive! Most owners desire replacement of Tier IV-interim machines with newer units equipped with Tier IV-final engines and a much more forgiving process including “regeneration” about every 500 hours.
Low Sulphur Fuel is required for use in the USA as these technologies utilize a type of catalytic converter which will not continue to function without appropriate fuel. Currently machines from USA-based sources (rental fleets, owners, auctions, etc) are not feasible for use in Latin American, African and other markets without removing the Tier IV-interim emissions equipment.
The good news, we have a solution! Most manufacturers offer “de-tiering kits” which require 6-8 hours labor and a computer software upload for conversion: finally allowing the use of practically any diesel fuel. We are interested in discussing your experience with this process, partners involved in “de-tiering” and sourcing Used Equipment from the USA. If you are an international customer requiring late/low rental fleet gear, lease returns, let’s have a discussion.