In the big top! - MAN inmotion

Technology Cold testing
inmotion
1|2012
Green technology:
Tests without diesel
Cold testing saves a million litres of diesel and 3,000 tonnes of CO2
a year – protecting the environment and conserving resources. MAN
has been awarded a prize for the innovative practice.
By: Sebastian Schneider Photos: Rainer Spitzenberger
Minimal human intervention: cold testing not only saves
valuable resources, it’s also almost entirely automated.
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From the outside it looks just like
any other factory, with shutters and cryptic numbering. But
the MAN engine plant in Nuremberg is no ordinary factory.
Behind the red-brick walls is a high-tech institution that uses
all the latest manufacturing techniques, including cold
testing. Upon entering the hall, you immediately notice the
almost clinical cleanliness of the place. Not a speck of dirt
or a smudge of grease can be found, as cold testing requires
absolute precision. But this level of fastidiousness is worth
it: the process thoroughly tests all the functions of every
engine but requires only a fraction of the diesel and the time
needed for more conventional hot testing. Cold tests
therefore save valuable resources and protect the
environment and climate. This achievement has now been
officially recognised: in late 2011 MAN was awarded a major
environmental prize from the state of Bavaria for its cold
testing procedure.