Fuel-saving converter's results drive optimism

By Debbie Blossom

Published: September 24, 2008

With today's fuel prices, a nationwide focus has shifted to vehicles that can squeeze more miles out of a tank of gasoline.

And as American automakers push to produce cars and trucks sporting better gas mileage and fewer emissions, one local manufacturing company has created a fuel-saving converter that has proved it can produce better mileage while also helping improve air quality.

At Blumenthal Cos., a 59-year-old Oklahoma City company that remanufactures engines, a tested converter that boosts fuel savings came about almost by accident as the company grappled with extending the transmission lifespan on fleet trucks used by some of its customers.

Robert Yarbrough, senior general manager of Blumenthal's engines and automatics division, and employee Richard Walker were the chief designers who collaborated on the idea three years ago for a converter that would keep heavy-duty truck running longer.

"At UPS, they were burning up transmissions at 40,000 miles, and the first converter we designed prolonged that to 120,000 miles,” Yarbrough said.

Test results show big savings

From that initial discovery of fuel savings for big, half-ton trucks, next came designs that also would improve the performance of smaller, everyday vehicles.

The company acquired a patent for its power lock converter system a year ago and since then has put it through tests on different cars and trucks to gauge actual savings. What they found was an increase in mileage from 24 percent to 59 percent depending on a vehicle's make and model.

Trucks have been the focus, Yarbrough said, "because there are so many more, and they are the biggest gas guzzlers.”

The company invested $30,000 for the converter's patent and almost $275,000 just for converters for Ford engines. Its research determines that, so far, the converter can be installed in General Motors vehicles, Ford and Chrysler sport utility vehicles and rear-wheel drive cars, and Dodge diesel trucks.

At $695 installed, the converter's price "will pay for itself within six months in fuel savings,” Yarbrough said.

Although Blumenthal just now is starting to market the converter, the company already is targeting cities and law enforcement agencies as potential customers. The converter is installed in two cars at both the Stillwater and Duncan police departments, as well as two cars used by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.

What's next for Blumenthal?

All the converter's parts are made in Oklahoma, Blumenthal marketing director Harry Brown said, but the company wants to take the product beyond state lines.

"We're trying to get companies like Napa Ford to pick this up to get the converter into the automotive aftermarket,” Yarbrough said, and the company is in discussion with Ford Motor Co. and Mopar, the parts division of Chrysler Corp. "The more we sell, the more we can put into research and development.”

As the company works to bring heavy-duty engine applications to more car brands, it is also involved in research into other areas, including hydrogen fuel alternatives.

Leading Manufacturers Receive Governor's Awards

Oct. 11, 2007 -- Top manufacturers received the 2007 Governor's Manufacturing Leadership Awards during the Oklahoma Conference on Manufacturing, Oct. 9-10, which brought together hundreds of business owners, government officials, and economic developers to discuss industry trends and issues.

The award winners were Bar-S Foods Co., which produces corndogs, franks, lunchmeat, ham and 100 other food items at facilities in Elk City, Clinton, Altus, and Lawton; The Blumenthal Companies, an Oklahoma City-based manufacturer of transmissions, clutches, differentials, and other power train components; and Newell Coach, a Miami-based motor-home manufacturer.

Sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance, the annual conference and awards ceremony provides a forum to recognize some of the industry's top companies and discuss issues facing Oklahoma manufacturers such as new immigration laws, labor shortages, and providing affordable health insurance. ........

The Blumenthal Companies

Blumenthal Manufacturing was founded in 1949 by the Blumenthal family, initially offering remanufactured automotive transmissions to Sears, OTASCO, Montgomery Ward, and others. Today, with more than 150 employees, they supply a wide variety of transmissions, clutches, differentials, and other power train components to dozens of customers and some of the world's largest fleets.

Blumenthal has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past year. When Mopar, the parts and service arm of Chrysler Group, lost its main supplier for manual remanufactured transmissions, it was the opportunity of a lifetime for Blumenthal.

While Blumenthal had the experience and determination to take on the huge endeavor, its production system needed a major overhaul. Blumenthal south help through the Oklahoma Manufacturing Alliance and Bob Carter, a manufacturing extension agent sponsored locally by Oklahoma City Community College, Moore Norman Technology Center, and the South OKC Chamber of Commerce.

With the leadership of Don Lake, an OSU applications engineer, and Rajesh Krishnamurthy, a Ph.D. student, Blumenthal completely remodeled its factory and introduced six new production lines in six months. It incorporated Lean Manufacturing principles and created a crisp, clean, and efficient production process, an amazing effort in a short period of time.

After passing rigorous Mopar evaluations, the company is starting to earn more Chrysler work. It has led to great new business opportunities and a significant dollar impact on the local economy.

"Mopar was dazzled by our knowledge and Oklahoma's can-do spirit," says Harry Brown, Marketing Manager for Blumenthal. "Though it looked impossible to begin with, we met or beat every timeline and goal."