CCJ Magazine

Horton has announced the appointment of Nels Johnson as managing director of Horton Europe GmbH & Co. KG. Johnson, who will be based in Schweinfurt, Germany, has 35 years of industry experience in management, manufacturing, sales, marketing, operations and distribution in domestic and international markets. “We are pleased that Nels Johnson has rejoined Horton in this key role as we continue to invest in our European operation,” says Geert Henk Touw, president and chief executive officer.

Most recently, Johnson was the owner and CEO of Strategy in Sync. Inc., working with business owners to enhance their strategic approaches and plan exit strategies for their businesses. Johnson retired from the Donaldson Co. Inc. of Minneapolis in 2007 as general manager of OEM sales and marketing, engine parts and systems. During his more than 20 years with that company, he also was global sales director of Donaldson IAF, managing director of Donaldson Australasia Pty. Ltd., manager of transportation market, manager of parts marketing, manager of pricing and manager of product planning.

During Johnson’s years with Horton, he served as senior vice president, responsible for sales and marketing for production and aftermarket sales to North American OEM customers; executive vice president responsible for strategic planning, product development, customer relationships and sales and marketing; vice president of sales and marketing; and manager of OEM sales.

New Oil Category Planned for 2016 HD Engines

Etrucker.com

Development is under way on creating new heavy-duty engine oils that will be used in truck engines to debut in January 2016.

A new oil category dubbed PC-11, or Proposed Category 11, will be developed to help engine manufacturers meet federal standards for 2014-2018 model year trucks covering improved fuel economy and reduced greenhouse gas emissions, said Dan Arcy, global OEM technical manager for Shell Oil Solutions. Arcy is leading a team of oil industry technicians who will specify tests and standards for the new category, which was requested by the Engine Manufacturers Association.

The new category, first in the industry since CJ-4 was introduced in 2006, will actually include two subcategories, or separate oils, said Arcy, who presented information on the oil program Feb. 9 at a press event in Park City, Utah. One will preserve heavier oil, which is common in the industry now. The other will be a thinner oil better adapted to enhancing fuel economy while preserving durability.

“One of the levers manufacturers can pull in meeting [engine] requirements is use of low viscosity, or fuel economy, type of engine oils,” Arcy said.

Oil industry technicians will spend the next four years specifying standards to be ready for licensing by January 2016. Tests for the new oils will make sure they are durable and resist engine breakdown, while increasing fuel efficiency.

In addition to the two types of oils, Arcy said engine manufacturers requested improvements in oil properties such as:

• Stability against shearing of oil molecules
• Oxidation stability
• Compatibility with biodiesel fuels
• Limiting wear of engine parts from scuffing and adhesion, and
• Restricting aeration (air in oil).

Since 1994, Arcy said, the industry has done a good job of creating oils that sharply reduced nitrogen oxide and particulate matter. The future will be to concentrate on greenhouse gas emission standards set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.