PRESS RELEASE
10 May 1996
Catastrophic conversion:
New EU vehicle emission rules
hike demands on workshop extraction equipment

Increasingly, European legislators are introducing new regulations aimed at cutting exhaust emission levels from road vehicles. This has placed huge demands on test centres and workshops throughout Europe.
These now need to install exhaust emission testing and removal systems which allow engine status analysis to be carried out at high speeds in the workshop. Why? Studies have shown that many catalyzer systems do not function effectively at high rpm and under load. And, until now, tests have only been conducted at low speeds with little load exerted on the vehicle and its drive train.

In October 1992, EU legislators introduced new regulations which governed the inspection of motor vehicle exhaust characteristics (92/55/EEC). The ruling came about as a reply to the increasing number of road vehicles in the community which, despite improved engine technology, add to what already are high pollution levels. Not only that, but tests had shown that under heavy loads and high rpm, many engine solutions headlined as green did not, in fact, match the manufacturers’ specifications.
”The new legislation, in effect, a tightening of the regulations already in force, was aimed at dealing with the situation throughout the community”, says Kent Berggren at AB Ph. Nederman & Co, which specializes in vehicle exhaust extraction systems. ”But workshop testing at high speeds imposes a problem which the legislators did not take into consideration. What to do about workplace pollution caused by fast revving engines under high load conditions.

Source extraction systems
What is required is a reliable extraction system which removes exhaust fumes at the source, before they can contaminate workshop air.
”The problem won’t go away just because it’s ignored”, says Kent Berggren. ”If workshops and test centres are to comply with the EU directive, they will have to carry out tests at high speeds. And hot, powerful engines place huge demands on extraction systems which have to cope with large amounts of hot gases.”
Ph. Nederman offers a wide range of ceiling and wall mounted extraction systems, either reeled hoses supplied as motor driven or manually operated units, or ceiling rail systems designed for workshops, such as testing stations, where vehicles are often moved around. The hoses are attached by rubber or metal connectors to the vehicles’ exhaust pipes, and extractor fans remove harmful gases before they can enter the workshop. The hose is simply fitted on to the end of vehicle’s exhaust pipe and can then be forgotten. An automatic release disconnects the nozzle from the vehicle as it is driven from the workshop.

High speeds cause noise
Likewise noise, which has so far been basically ignored by the industry, can cause problems. In one high speed test, a sound pressure level of 104 dB(A) was measured.
“Obviously, this has to be dealt with - and the best solution is to install a fully enclosed workstation comprising sound absorbing baffles in its walls and ceiling,” says Kent Berggren. Nederman’s systems are said to not only be effective at shielding test centre staff from fumes and noise, they can also save money by cutting energy costs.
“The ventilation level required to keep workshop air contaminant free can be kept lower at workshops which have this kind of system installed”, says Kent Berggren. /ins

Captions:
(1) Ph. Nederman offers a wide range of ceiling and wall mounted extraction systems designed for workshops and
vehicle testing stations.
(2) The problem of noise when conducting high-speed tests has to be dealt with. One solution is to install a fully
enclosed workstation comprising sound absorbing baffles in
the walls and ceiling.

For further information contact:
Nederman Ltd
David Hull
P O Box 503, 91 Walton Summit
Bamber Bridge PR5 8BR
Preston Lancashire
Tel 01772-34721
Fax 01772-315273

AB Ph. Nederman & Co
Kent Berggren
Sydhamnsgatan 2
S-252 28 Helsingborg, Sweden
Tel: +46 42 18 87 10; Fax: +46 42 14 79 71