DIGGER giant JCB has won a landmark deal to supply engines to the world’s leading manufacturer of street cleansing equipment.
The Rocester-based company said the agreement — initially worth almost £3 million a year — has been secured with Johnston Sweepers, which supplies its equipment to the public sector, contractors, the rental market and airports through a network of 200 global dealers.
The contract is a significant milestone for JCB as it has been secured just weeks after the latest generation JCB engine — the new Ecomax — went into full production at JCB Power Systems, in Foston.
The engines already power more than 70 per cent of the construction and agricultural machines JCB manufactures every year.
Malcolm Sandford, JCB powertrain managing director, said: “JCB and Johnston Sweepers share the same values of producing world-beating products driven by excellence in design, manufacturing and efficient operation.
“The JCB Ecomax engine will deliver huge benefits to Johnston Sweepers and we are delighted to secure this business.” JCB won the order against fierce international competition and production of the engines for Johnston Sweepers’ equipment will begin in December.
Johnston Sweepers will predominantly be supplied with JCB’s 4.4 litre 55kW Ecomax engine.
Founded in 1904, Johnston Sweepers, which has two British factories, sell all over the world including the UK, Western Europe, Australia, Russia and America.
The JCB Ecomax engine will power a new range of truck mounted sweepers, known as the V Range, which incorporates more than 1,000 design changes.
Graham Howlett, Johnston Sweepers’ UK sales manager, said: “With the advanced technology of the latest JCB Tier 4 compliant engine at the heart of the new sweeper range, we are maximising performance, payload, fuel consumption and water conservation and producing the most cost effective and practical city sweeper on the market.
“The JCB Ecomax engine is the cleanest and most efficient engine available, designed and built in Britain by JCB.
They were chosen for their advanced engineering, the 55kW pack already meeting future Tier 4 final emissions legislation.
“The engine delivers improved fuel consumption and lower emissions, reducing operating costs and helping authorities to improve their air quality scores, while also lowering vibration and noise generation for greater operator comfort and overall less noise pollution.” With the introduction of Tier 4 interim legislation, most engine manufacturers set out to meet the massive reductions in particulate emissions by incorporating a diesel particulate filter.
JCB used the new laws as an opportunity to innovate and engineer a solution that means no after-treatment and consequently lower running costs for the customer.
One of the major benefits is on fuel consumption and the Ecomax engine achieves savings of up to 10 per cent compared to its Tier 3 counterpart.
There is also a maintenance and service benefit as it runs on standard engine oils, with no additional service requirements.
