Fiat adopts CGI cylinder head

FPT Industrial has launched the Cursor 16, the first of the company’s commercial vehicle  engines to adopt a compacted graphite iron (CGI) cylinder head; this high performance material provides high thermal and mechanical resistance.

Suitable for construction, agriculture and power generation applications, among others, the 16-litre engine delivers 18-litre performance in a 13-litre package.

It utilises proven technology and represents the top level of the successful Cursor Series family, renowned for its reliability and flexibility.

The Cursor 16, with a CGI cylinder head, has just won DIESEL OF THE YEAR 2014, awarded by Diesel Magazine at earth-moving and building machinery exhibition SaMoTer, in Verona, Italy. The presentation was made today, (8 May). See also "Truck diesel with CGI in development" (25 March 2014) and "Iveco needs CGI to meet Euro 6" (10 December 2012).

In opting to use CGI as the material of choice for the Cursor 16's cylinder head, FPT Industrial took the least cost route. A CGI cylinder block would be much more expensive. MAN and Daf both use CGI cylinder blocks; likewise Navistar International for its MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 engines which are based on MAN designs.

FPT Industrial’s sales vice president Massimo Rubatto and Diesel Magazine’s Chief Editor Fabio Butturi unveiled the engine at the triennial exhibition.

“Every now and then there is a massive leap in engine development and performance; FPT Industrial has achieved this with the Cursor 16 and Diesel Magazine is pleased to be part of its launch into the market,” said Butturi of Diesel Magazine. “It’s a deserved winner of this prestigious award.”

FPT Industrial claims it is the only engine provider to have been awarded DIESEL OF THE YEAR twice, following the success in 2008 of its 3.2-litre F5 engine, which is currently equipping agricultural machinery for companies such as Carraro, Case IH and New Holland.

The company notes that the new Cursor 16 offers best in class power and torque density, rated and max power as well as service intervals, crafted in a compact design to make it one of the smallest engines in its range.

The 15.9-litre, six-cylinder in-line engine will be available in two versions: single stage turbo and dual stage turbo. The new engine has improved performance and durability, designed to deliver performance for heavy load applications, with the second stage version offering a fuel economy advantage in high load factor operations.

While adhering to Tier 4B and Stage IV emission regulations, the engine, with four valves per cylinder, delivers up to 570kW with maximum torque of 3,320Nm at 1,500 rev/min in its single stage version and up to 630kW with maximum torque of 3,500Nm at 1,400 rev/min in its double-stage version.

To be produced in FPT Industrial’s Bourbon Lancy plant in France, the Cursor 16 engine has been co-developed by FPT Industrial’s Research and Development teams in Arbon, Switzerland, and Turin, Italy. Combustion has been optimised by the use of steel pistons, creating high peak cylinder pressure and, as a result, high power density and low particular matter (PM) output.

Combustion optimisation is further enhanced with a FPT-developed double re-entrant combustion bowl, two different turbulent vortexes within the bowl allow for the accurate control of fuel and air mix to maximise performance and minimise emissions, while ensuring no residual fuel is left on the cylinder lining.

The engine features a third generation common rail fuel injection system, of up to 2,200 bar under cover, allowing a precise control of the injection process. Meanwhile, the Cursor 16’s ball bearing turbo charger with waste gate further increases engine efficiency.

FPT Industrial’s patented High Efficiency Selective Catalytic Reduction (HI-eSCR) technology is also utilised. Developed in-house to comply with stringent Stage IV/Tier 4 Final and Euro VI emission regulations, the system reduces nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by more than 95 per cent.

With no PM after-treatment system and the high power delivery potential without a mandatory air handling system, the HI-eSCR system increases reliability and lowers maintenance cost, while reducing operating costs over the entire product lifecycle, according to the company. The compact system allows for the optimisation of space and minimises the weight impact due to integrated components.

In addition to its power and efficiency improvements, noise and vibration reduction has been achieved by the use of a rear gear train timing system.

The engine weights 1,320kg and the service interval is 600 hours.

FPT Industrial is part of CNH Industrial NV, which is headquartered at Basildon, Essex, UK. FPT Industrial supplies diesel engines for Iveco and the Fiat Group as well as for the Japanese Mitsubishi Fuso Canter.                                                               ∎