ACtion Magazine - Napa Special Edition - June 2017 - 8

The road not traveled: A/C for off-highway vehicles

National Instruments

"Specialty OE customers have the same expectations
for performance and reliability as anyone else who depends on such machinery to earn a living," says Darmiento, who was the lead engineer on Red Dot's latest aftermarket unit, the R-6101.
The question is, how do you make sure an A/C unit
that's not designed with any particular cab in mind will
deliver on those expectations?

WDs: Secret weapon
The answer rests with the network of wholesale distributors in North America who sell heavy-duty A/C
units, parts, and service.
"It's not usually cost-effective for a manufacturer of
OEM systems to develop something brand new for a few
dozen units a year," says Jeff Savage of Central States
Thermo King (CSTK) in Oklahoma City.
An experienced distributor can offer a set of off-theshelf components - an A/C unit, compressor, evaporator,
condenser, hoses, fittings - all built to survive off-highway conditions and customized to meet the OE's requirements.
"The most important thing we have to offer is expertise and attention," Savage says. "A specialty OE can buy
A/C components from anyone but a good WD has the
knowledge to help the OE make the right choice and the
business relationship to support that choice over the long
haul."
That's the lesson Troy Evans, product development
manager at Thermo King Intermountain in Salt Lake
City, took away from his experience with FireFly Equipment, which builds sod-harvesting machinery in Farmington, Utah. "Here we are, trying to be proactive at all
times about new OE business, and these guys from down
the road just walk in one day asking about A/C for their
cabs," says Evans. "I think we were the first place that
popped up when they did a search for somebody local who
knew about heavy-duty HVAC."
FireFly builds the ProSlab 155, a machine that lifts,
cuts, and stacks turf in 16-, 21-, or 24-inch wide slabs.
(Figure 2) The operator sits in a glass-enclosed cab for
protection against the weather, dust, and chemicals. FireFly's initial thought was to put an A/C unit in the dash.
"They came in expecting to buy a system and go back
and hook it up," Evans says. "Instead, we were the ones
asking all the questions."
Evans explained the advantages of dropping cold air
down on the operator (as opposed to blowing it in his face)
from a self-contained unit on the roof. He talked about
how heavy-duty A/C units are specifically designed to
withstand the vibration and shock of long days off-road.
He discussed how quick-connect fittings and hoses would
make the system easier to install and less prone to leaks,
and also recommended FireFly order its diesel engines

ACTION/NAPA * Spring 2017

Figure2: The ProSlab 155 lifts, cuts and stacks turf.

with a compressor and mounting hardware already installed.
The order is small - FireFly builds just one machine a
month - but Evans says the experience reinforced a few
things about working with specialty OEs.
"First, the equipment manufacturer is focused on the
business-end of the vehicle, whether it's an implement for
harvesting sod or performing other tasks," Evans says.
"They have a cab supplier and probably don't have engineers dedicated to operator comfort. We were happy to
assume that role."
Second, it's important to show how the right A/C unit,
properly spec'd and installed, can support a specialty
OE's sales message.
"With FireFly, they emphasize how the ProSlab 150
is a reliable, profitable, cost-effective machine," Evans
says. "We explained how a comfortable operator is a happier, more productive operator. Plus, he's likely to treat
his equipment better, with more uptime as a result. This
news really resonated with them."
While the WD is responsible for the relationship with
the specialty OE, it can also leverage its relationship with
the A/C unit supplier when the OE's needs go beyond
what's available in an aftermarket catalog.
When the maker of Ditch Witch mobile drills and trenchers called CSTK's Jeff Savage about installing a rooftop A/C unit on a new model, it was both an opportunity
and a challenge. Ditch Witch was happy with the Red Dot
R-9777 rooftop unit CSTK supplied but now needed something to meet tougher European standards for electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Ditch Witch's order involved fewer than 50 units; it
wouldn't be practical for Red Dot to modify and certify
the R-9777 given the low volume. So Savage worked with
Red Dot engineers to develop an EMI filter kit. "It was
a case of one specialty OE needing a feature that would
potentially benefit others," he says. "There's room for
innovation even when you're working with off-the-shelf
components."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ACtion Magazine - Napa Special Edition - June 2017