December 2016 Edition

European Council approves EU 3rd RDE Work package; Sensors' SEMTECH® CPN meets new demands

 
LDV on Car

On Tuesday, December 20, 2016, the European Council's Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV) overwhelmingly voted to approve the EU 3rd RDE work package. The 3rd RDE work package provides for the measurement of Particle Numbers (PN) during real driving conditions and promulgates a Conformity Factor (CF) of 1.5 for Particle Number starting on September 1, 2017 for any new type approval and on September 1, 2018 for all new vehicles. This CF includes an error margin of 0.5 (for cold starts only) and covers cold starts, regenerating events, and hybrid vehicles and requires the publication of Conformity Factors (CF) in the Certificate of Conformity of each vehicle. These events/vehicles had previously been excluded from the requirement for PN, and represents a significant change in protocol.

In anticipation of this new PN requirement, Sensors, Inc. developed a particle-counting Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) device based on condensation particle counter (CPC) technology (SEMTECH® CPN) over the last three years. It consists of a proprietary laser-based CPC, two dilution stages and a catalytic stripper to meet all legislative requirements of this work package.

Moreover, Sensors, Inc. is pleased to announce that for both existing and new customers, the SEMTECH® CPN can be supplied with the following two enhancements:

  • An International Laboratory Accreditation calibration certificate issued by AEA Ricardo to fully comply with all RDE traceability and performance requirements.
  • A particle size selection upgrade kit (based on the well-established use of diffusion screens) to significantly reduce the reported positive bias between PEMS PN device and the regulatory laboratory PMP reference systems. Note that RDE permits a much wider particle size detection efficiency curve than PMP which can introduce a significant positive bias (hence the 50% error margin) in the WLTC laboratory correlation tests and thus also during on-road measurements.

Given the expected peak in demand following the successful vote at the TCMV, Sensors, Inc., recommends placing orders now to avoid delivery delays. A limited number of evaluation units are available.

Please contact Mr. Oliver Franken, MD of Sensors Europe GmbH (+49 2104 14188-88, oliver.franken@sensors-europe.eu) or Mr. Rob Wilson, VP of Sales & Marketing, Sensors, Inc. (+1 734 295 9695, rwilson@sensors-inc.com) for further information.

13th Annual SEMTECH® User Network (SUN) Conference

On October 24- 25, 2016 Sensors, Inc. held its 13th Annual SEMTECH® Users Network (SUN) Conference at the Renaissance Baronette in Novi, Michigan. The conference, held in Germany the past several years, returned to the US this year and was conveniently scheduled to coincide with the North American Testing Expo. The schedule allowed many of the regulatory, academic and commercial attendees the opportunity to participate in both events.

The keynote address was delivered by Ameya Joshi, Regulatory Affairs, Corning Incorporated, who provided the audience with a global summary of current and proposed regulations, including a discussion of technical considerations involved in meeting those regulations. Detailed presentations on regulations specific to North America, Europe and Asia were given by US EPA, California Air Resources Board, the European Joint Research Council (JRC), and Sensors' distributors in each of the major Asian regions.

The conference continues to provide an important platform for SEMTECH® users to share their experiences. Applications vary widely, and the conference has been noted for its users' openness and willingness to share their challenges and solutions. This unique approach has been fostered by Sensors from the very beginning, when users were searching for solutions to this new approach to emissions testing. This year a wide variety of applications and experiences were given by heavy duty and passenger vehicle users from Europe and the North America including Emissions Analytics, US EPA, Detroit Diesel Corporation and CARB. Nick Molden of Emissions Analytics presented a summary of their real-world experiences and results of Real Driving Emissions (RDE) testing conducted using Sensors' Portable Emissions Measurement Systems (PEMS) on over one thousand vehicles.

SUN Conference 2017

Finally, SUN offers the company an opportunity to inform and instruct its users and potential customers on SEMTECH® systems and their applications. Demonstrations and product updates of the SEMTECH® LDV Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) were presented. New options and accessories were introduced, including the Continuous Particle Number (CPN) System, Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and Dual FID, and the new Power Distribution and Communications Module (PDCM) which provides upgraded features to the SEMTECH® ECOSTAR (PEMS) System. Updates on post-processing and reporting software packages were given, which were of particular interest to those directly involved with RDE development and testing.

Unique to the SUN Conference is the closing session which allows attendees the opportunity to discuss their experiences, challenges and adaptations with Sensors' staff. As in the past, dialogue with customers is critical to providing solutions to our in-use emissions challenges.

The 14th Annual SEMTECH® Users Network (SUN) Conference dates and location will be announced early in 2017.

Presentations available upon request.

Panatech Asia off to a fast start as Indian distributor

Sensors, Inc. recorded record sales in Asia in 2016, primarily in China and Korea, and looked to expand operations into other key countries in the region. Global contracts and delivery of the first Indian LDV systems made this a priority.

In August 2017, Panatech Asia joined Sensors' world-wide distribution group focused on the sale and service of the SEMTECH® line of in-use emissions test equipment. Located in Pune, the automotive hub of India, Panatech Asia was an ideal candidate, with high standards for quality and innovation that matched well with Sensors' reputation in the automotive industry. The distributor has put an aggressive plan in place for accommodating this new product line, beginning with the expansion of its sales and support staff.

Panatech Asia has assigned one of its senior technical sales engineers, Sachin Magar, to lead the group. Sachin has over ten years of experience in the automotive industry and with Panatech Asia, holding increasingly demanding positions of responsibility. The company recently hired an additional mechanical engineer devoted to the support of the SEMTECH® equipment, including service and sales support. Together with Vijay Deshpende, Managing Director, they are continuing to aggressively pursue candidates with emissions experience who will be responsible for training and applications support.

India is considered a major opportunity as it moves to adopt BS 6 regulations based upon the European RDE model. To support Panatech Asia, Sensors has assigned senior staff to train Panatech staff and to support sales activities in the coming months. This support is particularly crucial given the substantial increase in interest from regulatory agencies, and engine manufacturers over the past several months. As regulatory deadlines approach, the need for support will only intensify; Sensors and Panatech Asia are prepared to bring the necessary experience and skill sets to bear.

Please contact Pantatech Asia vijay@panatechasia.com, Sensors, Inc. sales@sensors-inc.com