In for the long haul – maintaining HGV emissions systems to avoid downtime

According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), renewal of the UK’s HGV fleet is returning to pre-pandemic levels with registrations of both rigid trucks and tractor units increasing by over 17% in the second quarter of this year, to around 22,700 vehicles.  This uplift in demand shows the commitment of operators to decarbonise their fleets with cleaner, more efficient and zero emission vehicles. Challenges related to the availability of new trucks off the production line have also eased thanks to improved fluidity in the parts supply chain.

Whilst an improved supply of new tractor units is welcome news, it’s important to recognise that many operators that were awaiting the delivery of new vehicles have extended the lifecycle of their existing HGVs, to maintain service levels for customers.  According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), this is most critical during the last two months of the year. This period before Christmas sees 20% of total annual retail sales, with a value of around £80bn, which creates a surge in HGV movements to keep high street stores and warehouses for online sales fully stocked. Similarly, research by the Department for Transport shows that GB-registered HGVs operating in the UK carried 1.6bn tonnes of goods in the 12 months ending April 2023, covering a distance of 19.2bn kilometres.

As logistics demand increases in the run-up to the festive season, it’s therefore essential to maximise HGV uptime and ensure vehicles are running efficiently, to optimise operating costs and ensure vehicles comply with Euro VI emissions regulations.  All Euro VI trucks are fitted with diesel particulate filters (DPFs) as part of the vehicle’s exhaust after treatment system (EATS), which prevents noxious particulate matter, such as soot and ash, from entering the atmosphere.

These diesel combustion by-products accumulate in the DPF during normal vehicle operation.  To ensure the filter functions efficiently, a ‘regeneration’ process occurs at specific intervals, where engine load is increased to build up heat in the exhaust system, in order to burn off the soot deposit.  Ash deposit also builds up in the DPF over time, however unlike soot, the more dense ash cannot be burnt-off through the process of regeneration.  When a filter becomes saturated, typically at around 100,000km intervals, the ash must be removed from the DPF ‘off-vehicle’, utilising a professional cleaning procedure, such as the patented Xpurge^® cleaning process provided by Ceramex.

Research by Ceramex has found that a lack of cleaning can result in significant damage to the EATS, due to an increase in exhaust back pressure, as well as causing an increase in fuel consumption and a likely reduction in engine power.

Processing some 2,000 HGV DPF units per week from its 67,000 square-foot Reading facility, Ceramex provides HGV fleets with an exchange-based service, where batches of dirty DPFs are collected from customers in the UK and overseas and replaced with fully cleaned and remanufactured ‘truck ready’ units, on a scheduled basis.  This fast turnaround, contract-based approach, minimises vehicle downtime and offers customers value through economies of scale and a planned approach to DPF cleaning, which ensures vehicles run efficiently.  Alongside HGVs, Ceramex also offers DPF cleaning for a range of sectors including off-highway vehicles, powered industrial equipment and marine applications.

Ceramex’s Xpurge^® cleaning process, which uses an innovative combination of de-ionised water and compressed air, removes accumulated soot and ash deposits within the DPF.  Xpurge^® collects the particulate matter in aqueous suspension, which eliminates any risk of noxious particulates entering the atmosphere.  This process is unique to Ceramex across the world.  After cleaning, Ceramex’s patented Veritex^® technology provides a detailed internal inspection of the DPF, to prove the results of the cleaning process and give customers reassurance as to the quality of the returned filter.

Taking an environmentally responsible approach to waste removal and disposal, Ceramex is also the only specialist HGV DPF cleaning provider which has an onsite treatment plant that safely removes the particulate matter form the water.  The solid matter is safely disposed of by a government licensed third party, in accordance with environment regulations, and the waste water is cleaned and returned to the mains supply.

Ceramex DPF cleaning provides HGV operators with a cost-effective and sustainable solution to keeping their trucks operating efficiently throughout their service life.  To find out more, please get in touch.