Perkins® Syncro delivers power in a small package
Perkins made a promise at Bauma in 2016: to build and market the top-of-the-range Perkins® Syncro 3.6 litre engine. Three years later the engine is now in production and shipping to customers. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) recognise the benefits of incorporating the class-leading performance delivered by this engine, and its sibling the Perkins® Syncro 2.8 litre engine, into their machines.
Compact, powerful and quiet – three words that describe the new 4-cylinder Perkins® Syncro 2.8 and 3.6 litre engines. Each delivers class-leading torque in key power bands combined with big improvements in size and noise.
“When we showed the Perkins Syncro 3.6 litre at Bauma 2016, we were effectively making a promise to our customers and OEMs in general that we would have that engine in production and in the market before the next Bauma,” said Alex Eden, product marketing manager for Perkins® Syncro. “We’ve kept our promise. Three years later we’re in full production, taking orders and shipping production 3.6 engines to our first customer.”
First deliveries of the production Perkins Syncro 2.8 litre engines are expected in the fourth quarter of 2019.
Before getting to this stage, Perkins has shipped more than 200 engines across the two models as pilots to customers in response to ‘massive interest’ from manufacturers for the whole suite of construction machines from telehandlers to hydraulic excavators, backhoe loaders, dumpers and more.
“We have production orders from a significant number of OEMs both large and small. Direct orders as well as orders through our global distribution network,” said Alex.
Smaller, more powerful engines
In terms of the package for the engine and aftertreatment systems, the Perkins Syncro models are smaller than competitors’ products. This means they will fit in your machine, especially if you’re repowering from another Perkins product, for example downsizing from a 1200 Series engine such as the 4.4 litre 1204, or coming off an 850 Series engine such as the 3.4 litre 854.
“Customers repowering from the 854 will find that the new-generation 3.6 litre engine is actually smaller than their old 3.4 litre engine, so they can be sure it will fit their applications,” said Alex.
The Perkins Syncro 2.8 was specifically designed to meet the strong demand for a powerful and compact diesel engine below the 55 kW (75 hp) node. The key consideration below that break point is that selective catalytic reduction (SCR) aftertreatment systems are not required.
Flexible and configurable
“We’ve achieved this by making that particular engine very flexible and configurable to service the competitive 55 kW break point,” said Alex. “As a straight turbocharged engine with no aftercooler, it achieves peak torque of 300 Nm (221.2 lb-ft) – that’s the best in the market for that class engine.
“In a turbocharged and aftercooled configuration, like the larger Perkins Syncro 3.6 litre product, the 2.8 litre torque hits 380 Nm (280.2 lb-ft) – another market-leading mark.”
The engine’s modular design ensures ease of integration into existing – and future – generations of machines. The Perkins Syncro 2.8 and 3.6 litre models boast 90 percent commonality in the customer interfaces.
They’re also “significantly quieter,” said Alex. Back-to-back testing of comparable new and old generation engines shows the Perkins Syncro range to be more than 3 decibels quieter than previous engines such as the 854, “which is already quiet.” The test data is available to customers.
“Customers have told us how good the engine sounds when they first hear it start up in machines that we’ve repowered for them as examples. The feedback has been very positive, and customers have told us that we are a step change on the competition.
“It’s an exciting time for both the Perkins Syncro 2.8 and 3.6 models.”
“Customers have told us how good the engine sounds when they first hear it start up in machines that we’ve repowered for them. The feedback has been very positive, and customers have told us that we are a step change on the competition.” – Alex Eden, product marketing manager for Perkins® Syncro.