Briggs Stratton Murray Buyout Stalls

Engine Industry reports say that Briggs & Stratton Engines buyout of Murray has stalled resulting in Murray filing a motion for a bankruptcy auction to take place.

Because no agreement has been reached between Briggs & Stratton and Murray Briggs will not be the "stalking horse" company in the Murray bankruptcy auction, which would have given Briggs & Stratton the intial bid.

Murray's president said,"We have had discussions with several potential purchasers, and we remain in contact with Briggs & Stratton, which can still be named the stalking horse prior to the auction."

Murray and Briggs & Stratton negotiations until now would have covered Murray in the United States, Murray Canada and Hayter. Murray makes lawn mowers, lawn tractors, snow throwers and other outdoor power equipment and products.

A bankruptcy court approved Briggs & Stratton engines bid last month to buy Murray for $150 million but that deal was contingent on negotiations between the two companies, due diligence and regulatory approvals.

Cummins Engines Installs New Conveyor System

Cummins Engines has installed a new conveyor system in their Jamestown plant and officials there report it has made a huge difference.

The new conveyor system replaced a basic in-floor towline that was getting old. Kevin Aker, Cummins assembly leader said the new system brought an updated system to the production of truck, bus and generator engines and has maximized production flexibility. Because of the great new system Cummins moved production of generator engines from the company's Columbus, Ind. engine plant to Jamestown. Aker stated, "This plant utilizes our most modern assembly line, which has the flexibility and capacity to meet all customer requirements for our 11- and 15-liter engines more productively and cost-effectively."

The 1,500-foot towline conveys 235 engines a day through the plant. A 10% increase in efficiency won Cummins Engine the Modern Materials Handling's Productivity Achievement Award for Manufacturing.

Aker explains that 90% of the work necessary to build a generator engine is done at the workstations on the towline, at the 12 assembly stations there, options such as engine brakes and power take-offs are added to engines. Only 500 feet of the old tow-line is used to buffer engines for the build line.

Aker added that as engines move along the line, the exact location of each one is critical. Engines are now tracked by an RFID tag on each cart. When the engine is placed on the cart, the tag is read and linked to the serial number of the engine stored in a programmable logic controller-based control system.

This new system gave Cummins maximum flexibility in controlling the generator engine assembly process.

Standby Generators Help Farmers

Local Indiana news reports say Indiana sheep farmer Duane Sickels is glad to have standby generators on hand as lambing season has coincided with power outages.

His sheep produced 115 new baby lambs recently including almost 20 born the day of an ice storm. The power has been off for days. American Electric Power, the local provider told Sickels it could be several more days before the farm's power is restored.

Sickels stated, "We will have to look for more generators if (power's) not on by the end of the week. We won't have heaters for our waterers without power. A pregnant ewe will drink a couple of gallons of water a day."

Because of the power outage finding generators nearby could be hard. Nearby generator suppliers are sold out of generators and some farmers have been going to Madison, Ind., and Cincinnati, Ohio, to find them. Most of the Honda generators that Liberty dealer Duane Marker had in stock went to Randolph County, location of the outage, said an employee.

Marker reports "We're still getting calls for generators. We will get more by the end of the week, hopefully, unless some other disaster happens. A lot of (Honda's) generators are going to India to help with the tsunami effort." Farmers are usually prepared for power failures and most already had some type of generator on site, a Randolph County extension educator said.

Matt Dirksen's used a 55,000-watt generator to keep his 160-cow dairy going until the power came back at his farm. The generator cost $6,000 and ran the entire farm, including the house.

Dirksen had a slight problem with his generator's amperage meter not working.

Sickels says "I have no complaints with the Coleman generator," he said. "It's run since Wednesday evening."

Use Generators With Caution Urge Officials

News reports say a man died last week from carbon monoxide caused by incorrect ventilation of a generator. The death has prompted federal officials to caution generator users to run their machines in open areas.

Ken Giles, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman, says people should "Use generators outdoors, away from attached garages and basements," and "Install a carbon monoxide alarm. Opening a door or window is not sufficient."

The man who died in Ohio was Clarence J. Ray, 76. He went to retrieve firewood from a detached garage which housed a generator, which the Rays were using to power their home. The man's wife told emergency personnel the generator had been running several hours.

According to the safety commission:

*36 people died in 2003 from carbon monoxide fumes produced by portable generators

*Forty people died in 2002

*From 1990 through 2003, 228 carbon monoxide deaths due to carbon monoxide produced from portable generators were reported to the safety commission.

The following generator use suggestions were made by the commission:

*Do not use a generator in an enclosed or partially enclosed space.
*An open window or door is not enough to vent fumes from a generator. *Generators can quickly produce high levels of carbon monoxide.
*If you start to feel dizzy, sick, or weak while using a generator, get fresh air right away. Carbon monoxide produced by generators can quickly lead to incapacitation and death.
*Install battery-powered carbon monoxide detectors in your home, and test them often.

Briggs Stratton Engines May Buy Lawn Mower Maker

The Journal Sentinel reports that Briggs & Stratton Corp. may acquire bankrupt lawn mower maker Murray Inc.

Murray Inc. filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in November and Briggs & Stratton Engines, the world’s largest small engine maker, wants to recover $40 million for engines it sold to Murray Inc. Murray makes riding mowers, snow blowers and go-karts.

An auction will take place Jan. 18 in Nashville, Tenn. Briggs & Stratton is guaranteed that its bid will stand unless a competitor beats their bid by $9 million, according to Thomas Savage, Briggs & Stratton executive VP. If that happens, Briggs & Stratton would receive $4 for acquisition expenses.

If Briggs & Stratton Engines does acquire Murray Inc., there is potential for tense relationships with Murray’s competitors because Briggs & Stratton also supplies engines to some of those companies. After the sale, their engine supplier, Briggs & Stratton, would become a competitor.

Diesel Engine Supplier Becomes New Platform Company

Morgenthaler, a supplier of diesel engines, announced their acquisition of Phillips & Temro Industries, Inc.

Morgenthaler supplies power industry brands that include ZeroStart(TM), Temro(TM), EM Products(TM), Cowl(TM), and Cab Power(TM), PTI supplies cold start and emissions control products to both engine and motor vehicle original equipment manufacturers as well as to the motor vehicle aftermarket.

They also provide diesel engine intake and exhaust silencing products to the stationary power generation, marine engine and off- highway industries. PTI's newest product offering, Cab Power(TM), provides systems that allow truck drivers to use in-cab electrical equipment without needing to run the diesel engines, reducing both fuel consumption and exhaust emissions.

Al Stanley, general partner at Morgenthaler Partners said, "Phillips and Temro is an engineering-driven company with highly regarded brand names and a strong market position in a growing industry, its industry leadership position, combined with solid technical capabilities, patented technologies and an extremely strong commitment to quality, makes it a very attractive company."

Morgenthaler's customers include Caterpillar, Cummins, Ford, Freightliner, General Motors, International, John Deere, Katolight, Kohler, PACCAR, and Volvo/Mack.

Caterpillar Rehabs Diesel Engines and Other Equipment

Caterpillar has begun to remanufacture their used diesel engines, transmissions and other power generation equipment, reports the Daily Herald.

Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of earth-moving equipment and other industrial power equipment such as industrial engines and generators. They are remanufacturing and returning to the market as many as 2 million products from water pumps to military tank engines. The power equipment carries a like-new warranty and sells for half the price of a new product.

Analysts indicate Caterpillar's effors will help them fight rising raw material prices shortages. Scott Burns of Morningstar said,"When you've got that many engines out there to reclaim, if you can do it on a low-cost basis, I think you're going to be at a competitive advantage over the next five years."

The Daily Herald explains remanufacturing engines and engine and generator parts is similar to recycling, but goes futher. Caterpillar takes an engine (for example) apart; cleans, fixes or replaces worn parts and upgrades the technology if possible.

Kohler Engines Liquid Cooled Engines Available At Higher Horsepower

Kohler Engines recently announced its liquid-cooled Aegis engines are available at higher horsepower (up to 31 horsepower). Five of the six current Aegis models have been re-launched at higher horsepower with no change in engine components or displacement, said Cam Litt, product manager for Kohler Engines. "We're re-launching our Aegis models as a result of compliance with SAE J1940 standards. All of our horizontal and vertical-shaft Aegis models now exceed these standards."
The current Aegis horizontal models LH630 (22HP), LH685 (25HP), LH750 (27HP) and the LH760 (20HP) with electronic fuel injection, will now be available as LH640 (24HP), LH690 (26HP), LH755 (28HP) and LH775 (31HP) with EFI. Of the two current Aegis vertical models, LV625 (20HP) and LV675 (23HP), the LV680 (24HP) model will replace the current 23HP model.
Combining an advanced liquid-cooling design, heavy-duty air filtration system, and overhead-valve design, the quiet-running KOHLER Aegis engines offer customers peak power and torque, fuel efficiency, long engine life, and hassle-free maintenance. All KOHLER Aegis engines are offered with a three-year limited warranty for both consumer and commercial applications, said Litt. "Our warranty demonstrates the confidence we have in the design of this liquid-cooled engine and how it will perform in the field."
End-users can expect an increase in overall engine life and reliability from an advanced liquidcooling system that delivers superior engine cooling through an integrated, automotive-style radiator. With this narrow-width radiator, KOHLER Aegis engines run cool by keeping oil and cylinder head temperatures low and running temperatures consistent. The result -- oil life is significantly extended and internal engine wear is reduced.
Another KOHLER Aegis advantage is a heavy-duty air cleaner system, standard on horizontal shaft models, with a filtering area of 838 square inches. This system features a reliable two-stage filtration system. The main filter (5 micron) traps the dirty air, while the inner filter (8 micron) protects the carburetor from contamination during main filter servicing.
Also, the air cleaner's ejector valve continuously collects and discards trapped dust. As an option, customers can install a filter minder, either direct or remote mount. This vacuum-type gauge detects when air inlets become restricted and alerts the machine operator that it's time to service the air filter.
In addition, the footprint for KOHLER Aegis is interchangeable with that of the popular KOHLER Command model line, assisting OEMs in conveniently fitting the engine within new and existing applications. Contributing to optimum power and torque, KOHLER Aegis engines are designed with large displacements, meaning that the versatile engines make easy work of long and rigorous commercial, construction and industrial applications.
Many of the features and design elements in KOHLER Aegis engines are also common on the KOHLER Command engine line. End users will reap many benefits from field-tested features, such as:
overhead valve technology for fuel efficiency, power and virtually no carbon build-up;
full pressure lubrication and a full-flow, spin-on oil filter for even and continuous oil distribution and extended maintenance intervals;
12-volt, solenoid-shift starter for reliable, easy starting in all types of weather;
hydraulic valve lifters for minimal operation noise, no lash adjustment, no power loss and low maintenance, and
cast-iron cylinder liners for reliability and long life.

Portable Standby Generator Safety Precautions Issued by ESFI

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) recently released their list of guidelines regarding taking proper precautions with generators. They note that as consumers reliance on electricity has increased, tolerance for power outages has declined. To combat the destruction caused by ice storms, thunderstorms, high winds and hurricanes, many homeowners are now turning to portable electric generators.

Michael G. Clendenin, executive director of the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) stated, "Portable electric generators are a good source of power for heat, light, refrigeration and cooking during electrical outages. But, if generators are improperly installed or operated, they can become deadly. People die needlessly every year in accidents that involve portable electric generators. Safety awareness can prevent those deaths."

The ESFI has recommended the following portable electric generator safety precautions:

1) Never operate the generator in enclosed or partially enclosed spaces, including homes, garages and basements. 2) Generators produce high levels of carbon monoxide very quickly, a colorless, odorless, deadly gas. 3) Keep the generator dry. To protect it from moisture, operate on a dry surface under an open canopy-like structure. 4) Plug appliances directly into the generator. Or, use a heavy-duty outdoor-rated extension cord that is rated in watts or amps at least equal to the sum of the connected appliance loads. 5) Do not connect your generator directly to your household wiring, as this can backfeed along the power lines and electrocute anyone coming in contact with them, including line workers making repairs. 6) Make sure the generator is properly grounded. 7) Do not overload the generator. A portable generator should be used only when necessary, and only to power essential equipment or appliances. 8) Make sure fuel for the generator is stored safely, away from living areas, in properly-labeled containers, and away from fuel-burning appliances. And before re-fueling, always turn the generator off and let it cool down. 9) Turn off all appliances powered by the generator before shutting down the generator. 10) Follow the manufacturer's instructions for safe operation and maintenance. 11) Keep children away from portable generators at all times.

"Complacency around portable electric generators is deadly," Clendenin added. "Following these safety precautions can help keep you and your family safe while you wait for the power to come back on."