Fact: The Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) market in the U.S. is expanding at a significant rate
DEF is an essential ingredient for modern diesel engines, as it reduces the amount of air pollution created by them.
DEF dispensing units have been increasingly integrated into fueling stations, but DEF’s corrosive nature and sensitivity to cold temperatures has made maintaining those dispensers challenging.
That’s why in winter 2023, the Gilbarco Veeder-Root engineering team visited three fueling stations in North Dakota to assess DEF unit performance in harsh conditions so that they could begin developing a revitalization plan for DEF dispensers.
What We Found
The visits to the three sites revealed critical issues caused by frozen DEF. Some of the issues were: degraded heaters, insulation, crystalized DEF buildup, bent sheathing, and missing door flap magnets.
Those issues led to less than 50% functionality of the DEF units at those sites.
Unreliable DEF dispensers can diminish customer satisfaction and loyalty, and they can also lead to significant revenue losses due to reduced sales and increased repair costs.
Retailers can’t afford those things to happen in such a competitive landscape.
A Positive Outcome
The Plan: The engineering team developed the DEF Dispenser Renewal & Enhancement Program, a curated parts replacement guideline based on the age and condition of an individual dispenser. The DEF Dispenser Renewal & Enhancement Program was implemented on 25 DEF dispensers across the three sites.
The Results: The renewal program was implemented on those 25 DEF dispensers during the summer of 2024. Those revitalized units saw zero downtime the following winter.
The Lessons Learned: The field studies demonstrated that a modest maintenance investment can restore full operation for years following proper revitalization. Retailers should plan on targeting specific parts to replace for newer dispensers, a moderate number of parts for medium-age units, and a larger number of parts for units 7 to 10 years old, to bring DEF dispensers up to current standards.
Another outcome of these studies was the creation of enhanced cold weather upgrade packages on new Encore DEF dispensers so that they can address these cold-weather issues starting day one.
The Bottom Line
Complete part replacement for DEF dispensing units is typically unnecessary, even for units that are 7 to 10 years old. Retailers who want to renew their DEF dispensers instead of going through a costly replacement should consider the DEF Dispenser Renewal & Enhancement Program.
The DEF Dispenser Renewal & Enhancement Program offers a cost-effective strategy to maximize dispenser uptime, extend equipment life, and boost ROI. Retailers investing in this program can expect improved operational performance, higher DEF sales, and enhanced customer loyalty, especially in challenging cold-weather environments.
For more information on implementing the DEF Dispenser Renewal & Enhancement Program, contact the AMO sales team
1 - https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/diesel-exhaust-fluid-market-report