One engine - many lives
Remanufactured replacement engines in OEM quality
Operators of mobile and stationary machines expect not only high reliability and durability from diesel engines, but also short downtimes in the event of service as well as long-term security of supply – even for engines whose series production was discontinued many years ago. This is exactly where DEUTZ Lifecycle Solutions come in.
Increasing demands on machine availability, predictable operating costs and sustainable management have fundamentally changed the way drive systems are handled. The retrofit of complete machines is now established as a technically and economically sensible solution in many industries. The Cologne-based engine manufacturer DEUTZ not only produces diesel engines, but has also been professionally remanufacturing its engines for more than 75 years and has developed a holistic service programme from this. The so-called DEUTZ Lifecycle Solutions include ensuring the supply of spare parts, repair solutions and several engine replacement solutions – even for variants that have not been available for decades.
Industrial remanufacturing as a central element of the lifecycle strategy
Remanufactured replacement engines, the so-called Xchange Replacement Engines, play a key role within Lifecycle Solutions. Around 200 engine types as well as customer-specific special solutions are available through more than 1,000 service partners in over 130 countries. DEUTZ offers the same warranty for these engines as for new products – two years as standard, optionally up to five years. The special added value of this Xchange program lies in the exceptionally short delivery times of complete engines, as well as short and long blocks of only two to eleven days.
The systematic reuse of tested and remanufactured components is an integral part of this sustainable concept. It reduces the need for new parts, saves energy and raw materials, and extends the service life of existing drives and machines – an approach that combines economic efficiency with responsible use of resources.
In the cycle: parts return and production process
Xchange Replacement Engines are fully remanufactured original engines in OEM quality. In contrast to classic engine repairs, there is no 1:1 reconditioning of the returned engines. Rather, they serve as a source for a very extensive inventory of reusable and remanufactured, practically new engine components and assemblies. All reusable parts first go through cleaning, are then evaluated with database support, processed and then sent for storage.
The returned, reconditioned component becomes an Xchange spare part.
As part of a fully digitized process, they receive a new part number, the number code of which is reserved exclusively for the Xchange program. The same applies to the engine: a fully refurbished engine is given its own new engine number, which gives it its new identity as an Xchange product.
The replacement engine is built according to the latest technical standards of the respective engine type – a clear advantage for DEUTZ and access to decades-old documentation of its products. At the same time, it is ensured that the requirements of the associated exhaust gas certification are complied with.
Production in series quality
The necessary individual parts for the replacement engines are compiled from the warehouse using digitally generated parts lists. As a matter of principle, DEUTZ replaces all wear and maintenance parts, as well as sensors and cabling, with new parts.
Assembly and functional tests are carried out according to the same standards and industrial production processes as in ongoing series production. The basis for this is the product documentation that has been continuously maintained over decades. In addition, the Xchange team in Ulm makes full use of the quality assurance processes of the current series production – including state-of-the-art measurement technology and air-conditioned measuring rooms with program-controlled measuring machines.
Each engine completes a test bench run and then receives its paintwork. The engine then passes through the final quality gate with a leakage check of all media (coolant, oil and fuel) including an acceptance protocol.
Assembly is carried out under series conditions with original DEUTZ components.
Around 10,000 replacement engines per year
Xchange motors are equivalent to newly produced motors in terms of performance, reliability and service life, but are priced significantly lower – with identical quality and full warranty.
DEUTZ engines can be reconditioned at least once, in many cases several times, giving not only the engine but the entire end device a new life.
The Xchange programme is part of DEUTZ Lifecycle Solutions – the comprehensive range of services for DEUTZ engines over the entire life cycle. The replacement program enables the supply of spare parts for engines far beyond the manufacturer's obligations. Every year, DEUTZ manufactures around 10,000 replacement engines worldwide and supplies around 35,000 Xchange spare parts to the aftermarket. These figures prove the high acceptance and market penetration of the Xchange program and give customers the security of receiving spare parts or complete engines within a few days if necessary. For operators, this means a high degree of planning security, significantly reduced downtimes and an economically and technically convincing solution for keeping existing machines in use in the long term and in a resource-efficient manner.