PowerMatch software from Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind. (www.cummins.com), reportedly lets OEMs tailor engine performance to a specific vehicle and job. As part of the company's Advisor software suite for electronic engines, Power-Match shapes torque curves and adjusts features of an electronic engine, providing flexibility in meeting customer needs.
To provide a seamless fit between engine and equipment, PowerMatch first takes into account the work environment, load factors, ambient temperatures, and operating modes, and customizes the power curve and features of an electronic engine-to a specific equipment model and application.
Cummins Advisor takes over from there and builds a model to simulate how the engine will perform in the equipment. It accounts for factors ranging from fuel lines to climate and duty cycles, analyzes how they affect reliability and performance, and ensures all systems work together as intended.
The software lets engineers optimize engines to application requirements, says Bharat Vedak, vice president of Industrial Customer Engineering. "In the past, power-rating customization cost time, money, and valuable development resources," he says.
Now, says Vedak, Cummins can customize engines for OEMs rapidly within a software environment, ensuring their machines operate with peak efficiency. In heavy-lift trucks, for example, OEMs can custom tailor an engine for both lifting and transporting, enabling faster, more-efficient work. A high-speed governor trim feature, for instance, sets maximum vehicle speed and power transfer rate for high performance. A low-speed governor trim setting shuts down an idling engine after a preset time, reducing operating costs and emissions. And an alternate torque-curve feature maximizes fuel economy.