Application Engineers look at how turbochargers go onto an engine. The installation and operational envelope are all investigated to make sure that the turbocharger will operate satisfactorily - for example, durability, fuel consumption and general fit and function on the engine.

Cummins Turbo Technologies has Application Engineers located in the UK, India, China, Japan, Korea, Brazil and United States. Their job is to do whatever it takes to understand and interact with their particular customers or market segment. It's a mixture of being inside the company and being with the customer.

As diesel engines are getting increasingly complex and turbochargers become more integrated into the engine systems it is more critical that we avoid field problems. Application Engineers with close customer links can make this happen.

We've developed a number of procedures and documents that help with applying turbochargers to engines. The most visible of these is probably the Application Guidelines. This is in its third revision and is a virtual database containing Cummins Turbo Technologies best thinking on application and use of turbochargers. The data is updateable via the Internet, so we can make sure that a fully up to date, consistent approach to turbocharger use can be made wherever in the world they are applied. The database allows for feedback to Cummins Turbo Technologies and we hope that many improvements can be made through that mechanism.

On new engines we use a tool known as Application FMEA, where we work with the customer to understand how the engine will be operated in service.