Kohler Engines
From RitchieWiki
Kohler Engines manufactures a wide variety of engines for a number of different markets. Its engines are used for consumer lawn and garden, commercial turf, industrial, and construction applications.
Kohler Engines is part of a larger Kohler Co., which was founded in 1873. It is a private company, owned and operated by a circle of family members.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Foundation
Kohler Co. was initially established in 1873. John Michael Kohler and Charles Silberzahn purchased the Sheboygan Union Iron and Steel Foundry from Kohler’s employer and father-in-law. They incorporated their new company as Kohler & Silberzahn.
They began manufacturing agricultural implements such as watering troughs and scalding vats, designed to remove hair from animal carcasses. However, after only five years, Silberzahn sold his share of the company and moved on.
In 1887 the company incorporated as the Kohler Co.
[edit] Entering the Engine Market
Kohler became inspired by the growth of electrical appliances, but realized the limitations of electrical distribution. So, his company began developing small electric generators. In 1920, Kohler introduced its first generator model, the Automatic Power and Light – Model A, which provided 1,500 watts of 110-volt DC power from a generator driven by a four-cylinder gasoline engine. This new model “marked a significant improvement over existing generators, which merely charged batteries at 32 volts and weren’t as portable.”[1]
The initial Kohler generators were popular with maritime and railroad companies, as well as farm owners. Kohler even designed models for the military.
Eventually hospitals, banks, and a number of other businesses wanted their own generators to provide emergency power. However, the Kohler 10W models were much too small. Understanding the importance of this new market, Kohler quickly began developing larger generators. The company introduced the 100-kilowatt diesel-powered system. As the market continued to grow, so did the generators. Kohler released a 230 KW model and then a 500 KW model followed.
In the 1950s, Kohler gasoline-powered generators found a market in Thailand and Vietnam. In fact, nearly every air-cooled engine in South-East Asia was manufactured by Kohler and sold through a distributor in Hong Kong.[2] They were used to power boats, pump water on rice paddies, and drive air compressors.
Kohler’s success in Asia continued throughout the 1960s, but it also gained momentum in the United States. Kohler engines were being installed in lawnmowers, garden tractors, construction equipment, and snowmobiles. Also, a number of American construction equipment manufacturers, including International Harvester, John Deere, Wheel-Horse, Jacobsen, and Bombardier, began incorporating Kohler engines into their models. By 1963, Kohler was “one of the leading small engine suppliers in the industry.”[3]
In order to keep pace with the growing demand, Kohler established new manufacturing facilities in Mexico City, Mexico and Toronto, Canada.
In 1966, Kohler celebrated its one-millionth engine coming off the assembly line. Ten years later, it celebrated its one-millionth engine shipped internationally.
[edit] Decades of Development
Throughout the 1980s, Kohler developed a whole new series of engines. It released the twin cylinder Series II models in 1983, which featured full pressure lubrication and steel-back sleeve bearings at both ends of the crankshaft, and a redesigned connecting rod. In 1984, Kohler introduced its series of single- and twin-cylinder Magnum engines, which included electronic ignition and a new air filtration system. The first Magnum vertical shaft twin cylinder engines followed in 1986. A year later, Kohler released its Command engines with OHV design and hydraulic valve filters for “improved efficiency, longer life and quieter operation.”[4]
Kohler engine development continued through the 1990s. The company received an award from the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1998 for its Overhead Cam (OHC) 18 horsepower engine. It was “lauded as the best new product” of the thousands released by all major manufacturers.
In 1999, Kohler launched its Command PRO series with both single- and twin-cylinder models. They were targeted towards commercial turf and consumer garden tractors.
In 2002, Kohler’s Courage engine entered the market with features including a crankcase for leak-proof operation, dual camshaft, ported powering intake, and a cross-flow cylinder head.
[edit] The Company Today
Kohler Engines is a subsidiary of the larger Kohler Co., which participates in a wide variety of markets including plumbing, kitchen and bath appliances, furniture and accessories, cabinetry and tile, as well as resort, recreation, and real estate.
Kohler Co. has 31,000 employees worldwide.[5] Corporate headquarters are located in Kohler, Wisconsin, which is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin. Kohler’s chairman, CEO, and president is Herbert Kohler, Jr.
[edit] Equipment List
- Aegis engine
- Command engine
- Command PRO engine
- Command PRO CS engine
- Courage single engine
- Courage twin engine
- Courage PRO engine
- Courage XT engine
- Diesel engine
- Gasoline engine
[edit] References
- ↑ Kohler Company. Funding Universe. 2008-09-09.
- ↑ Kohler Company. Funding Universe. 2008-09-09.
- ↑ Kohler Company. 2008-09-09.
- ↑ History. Kohler Engines. 2008-09-09.
- ↑ Welcome. Kohler. 2008-09-09.
