Cummins Emission Solutions’ (CES) North American exhaust aftertreatment manufacturing facility has begun producing the diesel particulate filters that will play a key role in enabling engine manufacturers to meet the 2007 U.S. EPA emissions standards.

The Mineral Point, Wis., facility, which employs nearly 350 people, played host to members of the engine, transportation and equipment industry press in mid-November as CES and corporate executives discussed the plant’s readiness as well as the company’s preparations to meet the new EPA standards. Those standards will reduce particulate matter emissions in on-highway diesel-powered vehicles by 90%, while also resulting in a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions.

“Cummins Emission Solutions has the right technology to allow our engine and vehicle customers to meet these challenges reliably and cost effectively, and that technology is ready for the market,” said Mike Cross, CES vice president and general manager. “Catalytic exhaust systems may be considered something of a new technology for medium- and heavy-duty diesel engines, but they certainly are not new for this facility or Cummins Emission Solutions.”

CES was formed in 2002 in response to a recognized need to provide advanced aftertreatment technologies to meet emissions regulations around the world. CES provides OEM and retrofit aftertreatment systems for Cummins and a number of other engine manufacturers. The business reported sales in excess of $100 million in 2005 and is projecting more than $500 million in annual revenue by 2009, as the worldwide demand for advanced aftertreatment grows.

The Mineral Point manufacturing plant began in 1947 as Nelson Muffler, a four-employee operation that worked out of a small space in a former county garage. Today’s facility — now approximately 72,000 square feet — was constructed in 1974 and expanded in 2006 to enable the production of diesel particulate filter (DPF) systems.

The DPF uses a diesel oxidation catalyst (DOC) and a diesel particulate filter to trap diesel particulate matter (PM) in the exhaust system, reducing PM emissions by 90% while also reducing hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. The DOC optimizes the regeneration capability of the particulate filter — a critical aspect for maintaining fuel economy comparable to today’s engines.

The plant has manufactured more than 1.5 million medium- and heavy-duty diesel oxidation catalysts and well over 10,000 medium- and heavy-duty diesel particulate filters in its history.

In addition to Mineral Point, CES is producing selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems in the United Kingdom and South Africa to enable its European medium- and heavy-duty vehicle customers to meet Euro IV and V emissions levels.

SCR works by introducing aqueous urea (known as AdBlue in Europe) into the exhaust system. The urea, an organic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen, reacts with a catalyst in the exhaust system to break down NOx into nitrogen and water, significantly reducing NOx emissions.

CES has been preparing for the EPA 2007 emissions changes for five years, and its products have accumulated nearly 17 million test miles across multiple platforms and applications.