Eaton To Supply Engine Brakes To Yuchai

Eaton announced it has been chosen to supply its decompression engine brake to Guangxi Yuchai Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (Yuchai Group), a China-based commercial vehicle engine manufacturer.

The engine brake, slated to be assembled at Eaton’s manufacturing facility in Jining, China, is designed to enhance brake power in the full-engine operating range and features a compact design, Eaton said, allowing for easier integration into smaller engines.

Under terms of the agreement, Eaton will supply engine brakes for Yuchai K5/K8 and S4/S6 engines beginning in 2019. Volume expectations and financial details have not been disclosed.

At its core, the engine brake is a valvetrain system with a mechanism to switch between driving mode and engine braking mode, according to customer requirements, and can be integrated into a standard assembly.

For systems using cylinder decompression, the mechanism allows earlier exhaust valve opening to release the gas pressure inside the cylinder when the piston gets close to top dead center and when there is maximum compression inside the cylinder. With this system acting in brake mode, the engine uses the kinetic energy of the vehicle to compress gases. When the gas is released, the same power is not given back, resulting in a braking effect.