GE Division, Lubrizol Enter Diesel-Engine Maintenance Partnership

GE Transportation Systems, a division of General Electric Corp., and Cleveland-based Lubrizol Corp. announced they will form a joint venture to develop and market products and services to manage diesel-engine fluids. The fruits of the partnership should improve fuel consumption, and fueling and service efficiencies, according to the companies. The new company will begin operations in the second quarter of this year, and will be based in Northeastern Ohio. GE will own 51%; Lubrizol 49%. Combined will be GE Transportation System's remote monitoring and diagnostic capabilities, and Lubrizol's fluid-management technology and equipment. John Rice, president and CEO of GE Transportation Systems, said product development began in 1998, and field tests have been conducted in the mining and rail industries. "These pilots have demonstrated that by combining extended life components with real-time condition monitoring, service intervals can be extended to at least twice that of today's standards," Rice says.