Feathering its nest for the future
Page 14
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
II by Colin Barnett
Feather Diesel, the UK's leading independent diesel support specialist, is preparing for a busy future with the opening of a new headquarters close to its original home in Halifax.
The 2,800m3 site, located near the M62 at Elland, contains the latest technology for maintenance and repair of diesel fuel systems—the company has invested £2.5m in test equipment alone.
Feather Diesel is fast approaching its half-century having been established by former CA Vandervell apprentice Eric Feather in 1954. From the first it concentrated on diesels. Managing director Richard Rayner began his career with Feather in 1979 as as "commercial traveller".
The current structure dates back to a management buyout in 1998, financed by Aberdeen Asset Management and led by the present chairman and for
mer Albion Automotive boss, Dan Wright.
Although a is licensed as an agent for Delphi (formerly Lucas CAV) and Denso, Feather's greatest strength is probably its close relationship with Bosch, being the German firm's oldest existing agent in Europe.
The Elland operation is centred on a large workshop area surrounded by the test rig cells. There is also a large vehicle workshop, and next to that is the room for the commercially available Mahe rolling road chassis dynamometer, with space for a second unit when required.
The 860hp dyno is often used to provide proof of rectification when Feather is called on to set up below-par trucks on behalf of manufacturers.
Among the Firm's test equipment is the Moehwald RPC2000 rig used by Bosch's research and development department. The test equipment can handle the latest in common-rail and unit-pump injection systems.
Besides the usual retail work, Feather reconditions injection equipment to originalequipment levels for a number of truck manufacturers, including hien°, MAN, Nissan, Isuzu and Volvo. It also provides the engine side of South Staffordshire Commercials' Elite programme of refurbished Renaults as well as building Scania's gaspowered 3-Series tractors.
With fuel systems and the associated test equipment becoming increasingly sophisti cated, Feather is counting on the service and support industry comprising fewer and larger specialists. The next step in its expansion will be to open cloned versions of the Elland operation in other parts of the country—in the meantime, Feather offers a free nationwide collection and delivery service to as retail customers.
Attempting to forecast the future, Feather sees unit injection as being relatively shortlived, with no more than five to seven years of life remaining. Although it predicts that piston engines will be with us for a long time, it will be common-rail that provides the injection.
In the longer term, it is watching out for new technology in the form of hydrogen fuel cells and possibly small gas turbines. Whatever the future for fuel systems, Feather Diesels is set to play a prominent part.