More with less through electronic components

Off-highway engineers have had to walk a precarious path in recent years by developing engine technologies that offer customers better vehicle performance and regulators lower emissions.

Since the late 1980s, manufacturers have focused their attention increasingly on technology that makes off-highway engines cleaner, more efficient, and less susceptible to major malfunction. The changes began gradually, but are becoming more rapid as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) starts to implement its Tier II regulations.

At the center of the improvements are electronic devices that control and monitor numerous functions in most modern engines, in applications from marine and agriculture to construction and mining. The proliferation of electronics has been staggering, with capacity and functionality doubling every two or three years. Although initially used for basic engine operations, electronic systems now predict looming failures, adjust torque and power output, tune valve and injector timing, collect reams of data, and facilitate communications among each other and, increasingly, the outside world.