Oil Filter Makers Prepare to Manage More Soot
il filter manufacturers, whose replacement products generate some of the highest brand loyalty among truck operators, said they are making dramatic changes to manage the additional soot expected to be produced by new diesel engines coming in 2007.
On tap are new filtration media and 鈥渟marter鈥 filters designed to provide operational advantages that offset the added cost of the devices, manufacturers said. Fast-rising commodities such as steel and rubber have contributed to higher costs.
鈥淭here are going to be some dramatic changes in filtration,鈥 said Chris Boesel, a senior product manager at Fram who deals with heavy-duty filters. 鈥淲e are preparing for a more severe oil environment. We鈥檙e looking at several different solutions.鈥