Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) are undeniable contributors to the formation of ground-level ozone and the presence of harmful airborne pollutants. Since the Environmental Protection Agency has concluded that the effects of long-term diesel engine exhaust fumes pose a serious threat to human health, it’s difficult for a detached observer to feel too upset about the stricter regulations being put into place to help reduce emissions.
But for the manufacturers and other owners of nonroad diesel engine applications that must take into account the new rules, frustrations can easily begin to pile up. Their operations are often already heavily streamlined and rely on each piece of the puzzle fitting precisely to achieve maximum efficiency. Adding a new piece to the puzzle (or making one piece slightly larger, say, or more difficult to locate) can threaten far more than just headaches. It can briefly derail an operation or shut down a jobsite.