Perkins Curitiba powers the growth of Brazilian agriculture

Perkins engines have been powering Latin American and especially Brazilian agriculture for more than 60 years. They originally arrived in imported machines, many of which were built by Massey Ferguson, a brand that has been associated with Perkins engines for many years.

Later, as Brazilians began building agricultural equipment domestically, Perkins supported their efforts with imported three, four and six cylinder engines that met local needs and trends while delivering global technology. Brazilian agriculture continued to grow and become an international competitor supported by a steady stream of reliable, efficient, technologically advanced Perkins engines sourced from the UK and other Perkins manufacturing locations.

Curitiba manufacturing facility opens

That changed in 2003 when Perkins opened a manufacturing plant in Curitiba in the Brazilian state of Paraná. With a domestic source of up to 30,000 new engines annually now available, Brazilian and Latin American agricultural equipment manufacturers were more likely than ever to choose Perkins power for their machines.

Curitiba is more than just a manufacturing location, it also recently become the home of a Perkins Regional Logistics Centre (RLC) which is located on the same campus. Designed to serve local customers, the centre offers individual parts, service kits, overhaul kits and an expanded range of replacement engines available from stock.

Co-location with the Curitiba engine manufacturing facility provides access to an experienced Perkins team with local industry knowledge to continue the high levels of Perkins dedicated service, training and support in the region.

Meeting MAR-1 emission standards

The Curitiba plant has delivered well over 300,000 engines since 2003 including engines for export with MAR-1 Certification since 2009. MAR-1 is a phase of Brazil’s Motor Vehicle Air Pollution Control Programme (the PROCONVE act).

It is equivalent to the U.S. EPA Tier 3 standard, setting emission limits for carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and particulate matter. This certification takes diesel-engine technologies to the next level, delivering superior performance for agricultural equipment.

Like many other emission standards, MAR-1 was implemented in phases, each covering additional uses of diesel engines. In 2019 MAR-1 was expanded to cover agricultural equipment using engines under 75 kW (100 hp) and Curitiba was ready.

“We had already been exporting engines under the MAR-1 certification for more than a decade,” said Curitiba facility manager, Rodrigo Chibior.

Perkins launched the new, low emission engines in 2019, but the company has a long history designing diesels to meet the world’s most stringent standards. Perkins has a dedicated emissions team covering 70 countries including U.S. EPA Tier 4 and EU Stage V emission standards, which were rolled out in Europe in 2020/2021.

The systems used in the new engines with MAR-1 certification have been used by Perkins since 2007, and for certain engines built at Curitiba since 2009. Most of the MAR-1 engines produced at Curitiba are various models of the Perkins® 1100 Series.

Externally, these engines are essentially unchanged from their non-MAR-1 predecessors. Internally, though, they are quite different.

The entire injection system is new, featuring an internal gas recirculation system that enhances control over the combustion chamber and lowers the temperature to reduce emissions. They also feature advanced sealing technology, quick cold start performance and an enhanced ability to accept fuel variations and biodiesel where available.

With more than two years of experience with the new MAR-1 engines, Brazilian farmers have had an opportunity to evaluate them and the emissions technologies they use. The response has been very positive according to the feedback received by the Curitiba team.

Perkins – the engine of agribusiness

Successes have included LS Tractor integrating Perkins electronic engines into their PLUS series and H series tractors, Agrale launching its 575 and 5105 tractors and Landini bringing its Perkins-powered Brutus and Rex series into the Brazilian market.

With positive testimonials highlighting operator comfort and reduced fuel consumption, Curitiba produced engines are very well accepted in the Brazilian agriculture market. In addition to tractors, Perkins has been working with agricultural manufacturers of coffee machines, melon harvesters and sprayers to develop other Perkins-powered products.

Landini’s experience is an excellent example of the value inherent in a relationship with Perkins. Perkins is among the global suppliers of engines for Landini tractors, a relationship that also is in place in Brazil for models equipped with Curitiba produced engines.

“We’ve worked together with the Perkins development team,” said Landini engineering manager, Lucas Figueiredo, “to run several tests on engine temperature, fuel injection, air intake and performance and the Perkins engines are a great fit for the Landini design. The combination of Brazilian technology and Italian design has been quite successful.”

“It’s a technology that the market knows well,” noted Rafael De Souza, Perkins’ marketing manager, Latin America. “Many of our agricultural OEMs have opted for our four cylinder mechanical engine that’s easy to work on and meets emission standards. An engine that was developed for the agricultural sector, it’s not an adaptation of a road engine, geared toward farmers and those who will work on the tractor.

He continued: “Perkins signs its Brazilian marketing communications with the statement ‘Agribusiness is the engine of Brazil, and Perkins is the engine of Agribusiness’. The people who build and service the engines manufactured at Curitiba prove the truth of that statement every day.”