American Commercial Barge Line use diesel engines on their barges to power vertical lift pumps. The reliability of this equipment is key as it is used to load and unload cargo. If a workboat’s loading equipment fails at the dockside they receive an immediate $10,000 fine.
If that failure is prolonged it can also result in the customer having to halt production if they can’t get their stock from the barge.
ACBL were faced with two major concerns:
American Commercial Barge Line transport cargo across the entire U.S. inland waterway system which runs from Texas to Minnesota. This means they’re working in temperatures between -23°F to 100°F (-30°C to +40°C). Their existing starting systems would often struggle for reliability in colder temperatures.
American Commercial Barge Line were also concerned about the risk of pollution from their existing hydraulic systems. They were worried that hydraulic fluid could leak from the hoses and fittings.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) impose heavy fines if any pollution enters the inland waterway. Barge operators may be assessed a Class I penalty of up to US$10,000 (£7,000) per violation (up to a maximum of US$25,000 (£17,500)), or a Class II penalty of up to US$10,000 (£7,000) per day of violations (up to a maximum of US$125,000 (£87,000)).
IPU’s spring starters are a perfect solution to American Commercial Barge Line’s pollution concerns on engines up to 12 litres. They don’t require any hydraulic fluid so there’s no risk of pollution. They offer:
IPU’s hydraulic starting systems provided American Commercial Barge Line with guaranteed starting for diesel engines up to 80 litres.They are unaffected by temperature extremes as well as offering:
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