JCB rolls out 50,000th engine

April 22, 2013: JCB India has rolled out its 50,000th engine at its Ballabgarh, Uttar Pradesh, facility. The company had launched its first BS III, 16-valve diesel engine built locally in 2011. The company claims the engine is high in fuel efficiency, low in maintenance costs and provides the best ROI to customers.
br> Vipin Sondhi, MD and CEO, said: “It’s a moment of great pride for the JCB India team to become the first construction equipment manufacturer to roll out 50,000 engines in just two years. These world-class engines are a testimony to the hard work by teams from the UK and India working together. India plays a vital role in JCB’s global expansion plans and this development marks another step towards JCB’s growth in India.”
br> The JCB ecoMAX engine has over 93 percent indigenisation by value; it is the first engine in India to be developed exclusively for off-highway applications and is turbocharged and common-rail. The 4.8-litre naturally-aspirated engine has been developed and designed for India. At present, the ecoMAX engine powers JCB’s range of backhoe loaders, wheeled loaders, compaction equipment and part of its excavator range.

The JCB engine comes in 76-150 hp and is pressurised by a high pressure rotary pump. Features include a heavy-duty cylinder block specially designed for off highway applications, aluminum alloy pistons for optimised cooling, centralised location of fuel injectors for even burning of fuel, deep bed plate design for improved stiffness, low noise and improved sealing. The engine can be put on full load directly, and no running is required. Prior to the launch in 2011, JCB had organised an extensive training programme for all its dealers for enhancing the servicing and guidance skills at JCB dealerships. The manufacturing process of the engine plant works on the ‘no-fault-forward’ production model. To maintain quality standards, the engine is verified at every stage of production using technology, cameras, and sensors. JCB recently announced an investment of Rs 500 crore at its upcoming fourth facility at Jaipur. JCB India is a fully owned subsidiary of JC Bamford Excavators Limited, UK, a leading manufacturer of earthmoving and construction equipment. Worldwide, over 300 different models are made. In India, the company offers 21 different machines in seven product types.

SHOBHA MATHUR