Caterpillar Offers Engine Testing Capabilities Worldwide

October 26, 2005 — Caterpillar, Mossville, Ill., announced it has formed the Engine Systems Technologies & Solutions (EST&S)

Enlarge Image Caterpillar EST&S sound lab.

group to market its engine testing capabilities to engine builders, truck builders, construction equipment machinery manufacturers, fleet owners, and engine component and systems suppliers worldwide. EST&S is headquartered at Caterpillar's Mossville Technical Center.

According to EST&S Director Rick Alford, it makes good business sense for Caterpillar to cooperate with other engine builders. “I think we all recognize that there is nothing to be gained by reinventing the wheel,” he said.

With the current changes in engines, such as in the emissions arena, Alford believes there is significant opportunity for EST&S in the foreseeable future. “We are already doing test programs for a number of suppliers who build components like blocks, crankshafts, pistons, rings, cylinder liners, and fuel systems,” he said. “We also have programs underway for aftertreatment equipment manufacturers."

Alford said it's not unusual for competitors to share testing capabilities these days, and EST&S is prepared to offer its resources on a completely confidential basis. “We are keenly aware of the need for confidentiality and have taken steps to ensure that everything that happens at EST&S stays at EST&S,” he said.

EST&S's provides comprehensive emission testing using both North American and European standards, as well as:

• Engine durability testing
• Fatigue and failure testing
• Engine vibration isolation testing
• Engine noise testing
• Oil and fuel testing
• Strain, displacement, torque, force, and temperature measurements
• Linear and torsional vibration testing using modal, time domain, and frequency domain techniques.
• Steady-state and transient testing
• Semi-anechoic dynamometer for engines up to 700 hp
• Tilt table with 180° rotation and 45° of tilt
• Vehicle cooling test suite for vehicles up to 500 hp and speeds to 45 mph
• Cold room and altitude test suites 
• Gen-set test suites
• Component shake table testing
• Cooling component testing
• Endurance benches
• Cold soak and small component testing to -40° F