The JCB Ecomax T4 4.4 litre engine

JCB Power Systems has expanded its research and development team by 40% as demand for its award-winning JCB Ecomax T4 engine range surges.

The engine that was unveiled at last year's Bauma exhibition is the result of one of JCB's largest investments in its history to develop the off-highway sector's cleanest engine, in preparation for stringent emissions legislation in the US and in Europe.

Allan Tolley, JCB's director of engine programmes, says meeting Tier 4 emissions legislation was a massive challenge and also a huge opportunity for innovation. "[It is] an opportunity to come up with a solution that has real advantages for our customers. We believe the result is not only the off-highway sector's cleanest engine but a first for our industry."

JCB invested about GBP80 million (USD129.3 million) to develop the new JCB Ecomax T4 4.4 litre engine, the latest generation of the JCB Dieselmax engine. The industry-first solution eliminates the need for any exhaust after-treatment and cuts costs for users.

The JCB Ecomax engine is touted to reduce fuel consumption and the cost of ownership, to have improved reliability and have better packaging with no compromise in machine design. It won the 2011 Diesel Engine of the Year award by Italian magazine Diesel and also an award for innovation from the organisers of the SIMA agricultural show in Paris. JCB says it is not resting on its laurels and is currently developing Tier 4 Final/Stage IV emission level engines.

JCB says 2010 was a record year for engine sales to OEMs, with new customers in a variety of industry sectors from power generation, water pumping, crushing and screening, forklifts and even the marine sectors.

JCB has invested heavily in its Power Systems business in Derbyshire, UK to meet legislative and customer requirements. It has created one of the most sophisticated engine test facilities in the world, with JCB Power Systems operating 10 state-of-the-art test cells. Each cell is capable of carrying out the full EU transient test cycle that is required to meet Stage IIIB and Tier 4 Interim legislation and the cells can handle engines with up to 300kW of power output, leaving room for further expansion in the future.

The company is also growing its engine sales and distribution network globally in countries like North America, Australia, New Zealand, Benelux and South Africa.