British engine manufacturer Perkins took the opportunity at its 85th anniversary gala dinner to reveal a world first – an oil filler cap that tells users when to change the oil.
Perkins launched the SmartCap device during its anniversary event held at the UK’s Peterborough Cathedral earlier this month. The smart oil filler cap works with Perkins’ free smart phone app, My Engine, to track machine uptime, give notifications of service requirements and offer real-time location information. It operates only with Perkins’ mechanical and electronic engines.
Perkins says the cap, priced at around $70, is one of the cheapest telematics devices on the market.
Speaking about the upcoming Stage V emissions standards during the event, Duncan Riding, senior technical steward at Perkins, said the company’s view is that the diesel internal combustion engine would remain the practical choice for use in heavy construction equipment for years to come.
Riding said that the Stage V regulations reduce particulate emissions 120 times from pre-Stage 1 emissions to 0.015g/kW.hr and also limit the number of larger particles, with combustion particles generally being less than 2.5 microns. Reaching and maintaining those levels requires greater use of telematic and engine monitoring devices, according to Perkins.
