Posted 30th October 2024
At SMP Europe, we’re excited to share the journey our latest Intermotor AdBlue injectors took from concept to finished product. Our engineering team conducted extensive research and identified a growing issue in the UK aftermarket: an increasing number of injectors are failing prematurely, causing vehicle shutdowns.
From this, we developed an AdBlue injector that successfully passed thorough laboratory and on-vehicle testing, meeting our stringent quality standards for reliability and performance.
Nick Tideswell, our Engineering Manager, explains: “One of the most common AdBlue injector failures occurs due to blockages from crystallised urea. Over time, AdBlue can crystallise, clogging the injector and housing, which prevents the AdBlue fluid from entering the exhaust. This causes vehicles to fail emissions standards, triggering sensors to stop the vehicle from starting until the injector and housing are replaced. Additionally, high exhaust temperatures can lead to injector failure, making heat management crucial in this area.”
To address these issues, our engineering team developed an efficient heat sink design to prevent overheating and reduce the risk of blockages. Starting with sketches and 3D CAD models, we tested various concepts with 3D-printed prototypes, ensuring each design was refined to maximise performance.
“Once the design was approved, we moved to prototype testing,” Tideswell continues. “Our on-vehicle tests evaluated different heat sink designs under real-life conditions, confirming which performed best.” The results showed that our aluminium heat sink dissipates heat more effectively than OE parts. To further validate our injectors, we developed an in-house NOx datalogger, which confirmed that our injectors significantly reduce NOx emissions in test vehicles.
Most diesel vehicles built after 2015, including models from Audi, BMW, Citroen, DS, Jaguar, Land Rover, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and VW, require AdBlue to comply with Euro 6 emissions regulations. Currently, over 16 million vehicles in the UK depend on this technology.
Our new range of Intermotor AdBlue injectors includes 10 part numbers covering 5.1 million vehicles, supporting a wide array of popular diesel models. For more information, contact your local rep or visit www.smpeurope.com.
