Author Archives: Carlos De Sordi

Jaguar Wins Case Against Chinese Automaker

British automaker Jaguar won its case against a Chinese company it claimed had copied one of its popular models.

According to reports, a Chinese court ruled against Jiangling Motor Corporation, ruling that the company’s Landwind X7 copied several features directly from the Land Rover Evoque, which is created by Jaguar. The case had been ongoing for three years. Courts ruled that production of the Landwind, which sold for a fraction of the price of the Evoque, be halted immediately. Jianglin will also pay compensation to Jaguar.

Experts believe the ruling is likely to encourage other western carmakers to target their Chinese counterparts for similar suits.

Unfixed Recalls an Ongoing Issue

Recalls are an unfortunate part of the automotive industry and a significant portion of them are ignored by consumers, leading to as many as 70 million vehicles with unfixed recalls on the road.

Whether they are initiated by manufacturers or by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), it is likely that several recalls impacting millions of vehicles will occur each year. Some are for small fixes and draw little fanfare while others, like the ongoing situation with Takata airbags, become national news. Regardless of where the recalls come from, many experts have expressed concern over the high rate of unfixed issues.

“It is very difficult, as ownership of vehicles trades hands,” Indiana University Professor and Supply Chain Faculty Fellow George Ball, said. “Manufacturers do their best on this through mailings, but the fix rate is lower than it should be. This is something that has significant opportunities for improvement.”

According to a study by the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), as many as 280 million vehicles have been recalled in the past 10 years. With recall completion rates around 70%, that means as many as 70 million vehicles in need of fixes could still be on the road.

“The fix rates are low because the consumer has very little incentive to bring their car in,” Ball said. “Unless they perceive a personal safety risk, they are unlikely to bring it in.”

According to the NHTSA website, manufacturers must notify owners of recalled vehicles by mail within 60 days of deciding to do so. They must also provide a remedy for that recall, whether it be self-imposed or at the behest of the government. Ball said dealerships can go a long way in helping get more vehicles fixed, but don’t always have the opportunity to do so.

“Dealers can help here by fixing the problem when the car comes in for something scheduled, like an oil change,” Ball said. “But many people don’t go to dealers for oil changes, opting instead for cheaper options like (quick lubes).”

The costs of these recalls can add up quickly, particularly larger ones. While they can certainly cut into the bottom line, the cost of a recall isn’t always financial.

“Costs range widely because the units affected ranges so widely,” Ball said. “It can range from a few hundred thousand to hundreds of millions. Costs can also be indirect, such as lost future sales or stock price, as well as the direct costs of repair or replacement costs.”

New Device Can Determine if Yellow Diamonds are Man Made

A tech company in Hong Kong has created a device that can determine if yellow diamonds are lab grown or imitation.

According to reports, Diamond Services of Hong Kong say their Diamond Natural Device (DND) is the first to be able to identify man made or treated yellow diamonds. The system works by lowering the temperature of the stones with liquid nitrogen, allowing differences in the stones to be identified.

Reports indicate the process can only be completed in a lab setting and that equipment needed to perform the tests will not be sold to customers. The DND process allows for the scanning of loose or set stones in large quantities.

ExxonMobil to Build $10 Billion Liquified Natural Gas Export Facility

ExxonMobil’s project to build a $10 Billion liquified natural gas export facility in Texas is a go, with construction slated to begin soon.

The project, a partnership between ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum, will take about five years and more than 9,000 workers to build. According to reports, the new facility will have a capacity of 16 million tons per year. The facility is expected to begin operating some time in 2024.

The new facility is part of a larger initiative by ExxonMobil to drive energy related activity in the Gulf Coast. Other projects include new chemical, refining, lubricant and liquified natural gas facilities.

Volvo Introduces Cameras to Curb Drinking and Driving

Volvo has announced it will introduce a series of cameras and sensors the automaker says will curb drinking and driving.

According to reports, the cameras will monitor drivers for signs of drinking and driving and will limit speed, or in some cases park automatically, if the drivers eyes close or stray from the road for extended periods. Sensors will measure other factors, including driver’s reaction speed, weaving and steering. The automaker has not announced where the cameras or sensors would be located or how many of them there would be. They plan to introduce the system in the early 2020’s.

The Swedish automaker has a reputation for creating safe vehicles and a history of safety innovations. They are credited with introducing the three point seatbelt in 1959 and developed the first rear facing child seat in 1964.

Volvo has not yet commented on whether police would be contacted if the system determined a driver has been drinking. It is also unclear whether the system will be available only on certain models or included in all new Volvos.

Toyota Ups Investment to $13 Billion

Toyota announced it will further increase its planned investment in the United States, as the automaker has pledged to invest $13 billion by 2021.

Toyota had previously announced an investment of around $10 billion in 2017. According to reports, that commitment will include adding production of hybrid models, increasing capacity and building expansions at several of its facilities. Facilities in Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia, Alabama and Kentucky will all be improved or expanded by 2021.

In addition, Toyota had previously announced a joint venture with Mazda to build an additional plant, adding up to 4,000 new jobs. The Japanese automaker currently employs more than 37,000 Americans.

Vale Ordered to Freeze $260 Million in Funds for Disaster Compensation

Brazilian courts have ordered iron ore mine operators Vale to freeze $260 million in funds to compensate locals impacted by the January dam disaster at the Corrego do Feijao mine, which killed 300.

According to reports, Vale must also provide lodging, shelter, maintenance and food to those displaced by the disaster. The collapse was the second in three years involving Vale. The company had previously ben forced to close its Timbopeba mine, which produced 12.8 million tons of iron ore each year. Brazilian authorities are also seeking around $13 billion for environmental restoration.

The aftermath of the dam collapse has led to sweeping changes, as Brazil’s National Mining Agency banned building of new upstream dams and ordered all current ones decommissioned by 2015.

New Bill Would Better Define Agricultural Goods

A recently reintroduced law would better define which “agricultural goods” would be exempt from the federal Hours of Service (HOS) regulations and electronic logging devices (ELDs) mandate.

According to reports, the Agricultural Trucking Relief Act, reintroduced by Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, will clarify the definition of an “agricultural good.” Truckers carrying these commodities are exempt from HOS and ELDs regulations. According to current Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations, horticultural products like sod, turf grass, algae and aquatic plants are considered agriculture goods. However, they are not considered so by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and truckers that haul them are not exempt from HOS and ELDs. The new bill would clarify situations like this and allow more truckers to claim an exemption.

The bill is supported by several organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. It is co-sponsored by Reps. Neal Dunn and Al Lawson of Florida and Kurt Schrader of Oregon.

Proper Storage, Handling of Heat Transfer Oils Critical for Facility Success

Heat transfer oils are common in industrial applications and properly storing and handling them is critical in keeping facilities running smoothly.

Most heat transfer oils are considered class IIIB liquids by the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), meaning they aren’t subject to the heavy regulations that more flammable materials face. However, they do present storage challenges of their own. According to Jim Oetinger, former Director of Technology at Paratherm, now retired, one of the most common storage mistakes users make is one of the simplest to fix.

“The main thing with heat transfer fluids is you want to keep the drums inside,” Oetinger said. “If you store a drum outside, the drumhead fills with rain and as the temperature changes, that oil is going to pull a vacuum and it’s going to pull water through the seals. You end up with water in the bottom of the drum and if you pump that water into your system, you are going to have a steam explosion inside the system and you are going to blow a bunch of fluid out.”

That kind of damage to equipment can be costly. Even if no repairs are needed, it can still lead to downtime and lost productivity.

“You have to go through a boil out with the system,” Oetinger said. “You have to run it at low heat with the vent on the expansion tank open. You have to get the tank hot and open the vent up top, then you have to let the steam flash off.”

Another storage aspect that tends to get overlooked is proper labeling. It isn’t always safe to assume what is in drums or totes before pumping it into a machine.

“You don’t want to be questioning what’s in the drum,” Oetinger said. “You should never pump fluid out of a drum that isn’t labeled. Don’t just grab any drum and pump fluid into the system. Sloppy maintenance procedures are really a problem.”

While proper storage is important, correctly handling and transporting fluids in the facility is equally critical. Having designated lines to move materials helps prevent contamination and keeps everything streamlined.

“You need to have a dedicated pump for heat transfer fluids,” Oetinger said. “You don’t want someone taking the pump and using it to pump water or something else. It’s going to contaminate the hoses and cause problems when you pump the oil. You want to make sure you are pumping into a low-pressure part of the system and you want to use rubber hoses.”

These are just a few of the more common storage and handling mistakes that can occur when dealing with heat transfer oils. Oetinger said the best way to avoid these, and other, issues is to have a clearly defined scheduled maintenance plan.

“Look to see if they have scheduled maintenance,” Oetinger said. “There are things you should be doing every day on these systems while they are running, things you should be doing every three months, every six months and once a year. You have to see if they are checking the safety devices or increasing the bearings on the pumps. You want to make sure there are maintenance procedures and (employees) are following them.”

Takeaways from the 2019 NTEA Work Truck Show

The National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) hosted its annual Work Truck Show last week, March 5-8, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

While most tradeshows focus on innovation and new tech in passenger cars, the Work Truck Show caters exclusively to heavy duty vehicles used in a wide range of jobs. While the focus is a little different, this year’s Work Truck Show focused on some of the same issues that have also been hot topics for passenger car enthusiasts. Here are the top takeaways from the 2019 NTEA Work Truck Show:

Electricity and Green Trucks – Several manufacturers displayed new electric models at the show, while the NTEA hosted a green truck panel focused on the long-term goal of zero emission work vehicles. Freightliner brought its eM2 Class 7, a medium duty electric truck, a vehicle set for production in 2021. Fuso also brought the latest version of its eCanter truck, an electric vehicle designed for short term hauling in urban environments, while Spartan Motors introduced two electric vehicles of their own. While many believe we ar a long way from fully electrified fleets, it’s clear that heavy duty vehicle manufacturers have taken interest in the technology.

Diesel Still Rules – Electric trucks may be the future, but its clear diesel trucks aren’t going away any time soon. A majority of the trucks at this year’s show were diesel powered, including Navistar’s new International CV Class 4 and Class 5. Fuso, Isuzu, Ford, Nissan and several other manufacturers presented one or several new diesel vehicles.

Ford Fills Out its Lineup – Ford introduced a new F-600, a smaller, scaled down version of its F-650 chassis. The American automaker is the only company that produces a full line of trucks, from its F-150 all the way up through its F-750. Other American automakers also announced changes to their lineups, as Chrysler debuted commercial versions of its heavy-duty Ram pickup trucks and chassis cabs.

Inside the Cabin – Many of the automakers that presented showed off improved interior trims, onboard computers and other safety tech. The aforementioned Ram Heavy Duty trucks will include new and improved informational displays at all trim levels. Preco Electronics also announced updates to it’s blind spot platform Side Defender, adding new audio and visual alerts and improving its lane change assist feature.