During an event in Huntsville, Ala., on Tuesday, Sept. 23, Navistar Engine Group celebrated the 75th anniversary of its first production diesel engine, the D-40, with the dedication of the facility that will build its newest diesel engine family, MaxxForce Big Bore. Additionally, the event highlighted the company’s scope and reach – engine offerings ranging from 50 to 475 hp for use in on- and off-highway, agricultural, industrial, defense and stationary power applications – as well as plans for global expansion.
Navistar Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Ustian, along with Engine Group President Jack Allen, spoke to a crowd of global OEM customers and prospects, local dignitaries, Navistar employees and local and trade press, delivering a retrospective look at the company’s 75 years of diesel engine production and a look forward at where the company is heading.
“This milestone is about much more than an anniversary,” Ustian said. “This is about our scientists, designers, engineers and manufacturing personnel around the world, who for decades have been responsible for the performance and quality that made reaching this point possible.”
The MaxxForce Big Bore Assembly facility in Huntsville is the newest addition to Navistar’s roster of global engine facilities. With operations now under way, the 300,000-square-foot plant produces the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13. “Huntsville was selected to produce these new big bore diesel engines because of our talented and dedicated work force in Huntsville and its clear track record of building high-quality engines at a competitive cost,” Allen said.
Designed for International Class 8 trucks, with a combination of technologically advanced materials and components, the MaxxForce 11 and MaxxForce 13 engines are available in WorkStar severe service, TranStar regional-haul and ProStar long-haul commercial vehicles. The MaxxForce big bore engines feature compacted graphite iron (CGI) blocks, which are cast by Brazil-based supplier Tupy and machined by the Navistar affiliate, MWM International at its Santo Amaro plant in Sao Paulo.
“Our ability to source globally and utilize MWM International for the machining of this new innovative block design demonstrates our commitment to integration and growth as a global company,” Allen said. “This also allows us the opportunity to leverage our assets to serve the North American market while creating a competitive advantage for our MaxxForce big bore engines.”
Navistar’s other engine manufacturing and technical centers around the world include Melrose Park, Ill.; Indianapolis; Santo Amaro, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jesus Maria, Cordoba, Argentina; and Canoas, Rio Grande do Sol, Brazil. The South American facilities operate as MWM International Industria de Motores da America do Sul Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of Navistar.
As a part of a joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra, Navistar also is building a plant in India that will soon begin production of diesel engines for commercial, consumer and off-highway vehicles. Additionally, Dong Feng, an automotive manufacturer in China, has licensed a Navistar diesel engine design for use in commercial trucks in the Far East.
“Our growth has given Navistar Engine Group the scale to realize big competitive advantages on the global stage, including broader supply base choices, recruitment of top industry talent, competitive cost structure and more depth in technical expertise and facilities,” Allen said. “This all fuels our ability to deliver great products that meet the demands of customers for clean air and the attributes they value the most – capability, performance, reliability and durability.”
