The Right Stuff

They may not compare to the Enola Gay, but certainly Ingersoll Rand air compressors have earned their place in military history. When World War I began in 1914, the Ingersoll-Sergeant Drill Co. was less than a decade old. However, the company already had a reputation for its portable air compressors and drills, including the jackhammer. In 1915, Ingersoll-Sergeant joined the war effort by manufacturing shell casings along with providing portable air compressors and rock drills to the allied troops.

Today, military needs are more complex, but the need for rugged, portable equipment is unchanged. Doosan Portable Power continues the legacy and quality of the Ingersoll Rand brand with its line of air compressors, generators and light towers, which it provides to all branches of the U.S. military.

“The military has been buying our standard products since the early years of Ingersoll Rand, and we have also been designing equipment specifically for military applications for close to 35 years,” explains Marc James, government sales manager for Doosan Portable Power.  

Government Sales a Major Market

In the past year, Doosan Portable Power has sold more than 250 pieces of equipment to every branch of the military and various other government agencies such as the Bureau of Reclamation or the U.S. State Department. According to James, many of these agencies buy standard commercial products; however, the military branches usually need some sort of customization, even if it is only painting a compressor Army green.

As James explains it, military orders fall into one of three categories. The first category is commercial off-the-shelf (COTS). These are requests for standard products that are no different than what is sold in the commercial segments. The second category is called a modified COTS.

“This is an existing product, but modified for specific purposes,” said James. “It could be something as simple as paint color or a more complex military specifications such as tie-downs or lifting provisions.”

MP260

The MP260 air compressor falls into the category of modified COTS. Originally designed in the mid-1980s for the Army’s Tank Automotive Command, this unit has also been sold to the Marine Corps for use in combat missions. The MP260 is an oil-flooded rotary screw compressor with a flow capacity of 260 cfm at 100 psi. For the Marines, this unit is outfitted with a high-capacity fuel tank, a NATO slave receptacle for jump starting, six extra-large toolboxes and blackout lights for night operations. The frame is also constructed from high-strength steel, so it can withstand very tough towing conditions.

“The Marines purchase the majority of MP260s,” says James. “We took a 260-cfm air compressor and added the heavy-duty trailer and several toolboxes. We also include a variety of pneumatic tools such as breakers, drills, a chain saw, a water pump and all the necessary accessories that the Marines might use with it.”

James said that 90 percent of the time, the military requires some sort of modification to an existing product. However, sometimes they are required to take a clean sheet approach. These are rare, but Doosan Portable Power does get requests for products that are not in their current lineup. “If we are awarded these types of projects, we are looking at more than a year of development time,” says James.

The military’s use for the equipment provided by Doosan Portable Power is much the same as in the commercial market, providing reliable power for construction, demolition and even humanitarian missions. Generators and light towers are used to provide temporary power and illumination on U.S. bases, both stateside and overseas. Smaller air compressors are used to run air tools, such as breakers in construction applications. Large, high-pressure air compressors are used in drilling applications such as water-well drilling.

“We don’t get requests for the large air compressors often, but we sold some recently to the Navy, which is using them to help some countries rebuild their infrastructure,” said James.

MC20

Last year, Doosan Portable Power was awarded a contract for a new kind of air compressor, a white sheet design-and-build opportunity (that’s the third category). The special assembly order (SAO) team began with conceptualizing this new compressor, called the MC20, for the Air Force.

“This is unique for us because it is smaller than anything we currently have in our lineup,” says James. “It’s a 20-cfm at 125-psi air compressor and will be used on air base flight lines.”

James says something very similar to the MC20 was developed 20 years ago, the MC2A. Even though it has been out of production for years, the team was able to find one and use it as a model for the MC20.

“The technology has definitely changed, but we were able to use the general design and dimensions of the MC2A and update with new components, a new rotary screw airend and a new engine that can utilize JP8 fuel,” says James.

There are still some individuals at Doosan Portable Power who were initially involved with the development of the MC2A. James says that expertise enabled the SAO team to fast-track the project. Currently the MC20 is in the testing phase, undergoing extreme conditions.

“The Air Force has a couple at a base right now in Georgia,” says James. “They will put those prototypes through very rigorous testing in the same applications the final production units will be used in.”

James expects the MC20 to roll into production and delivery to the Air Force by fourth quarter 2010. Currently, Doosan Portable Power has approximately a dozen or more different specialized models in its product lineup. This great legacy continues because Doosan Portable Power carries on the quality and commitment established over the past 100 years and is able to consistently meet the ever-changing
requirements of the U.S. military.

Dawn Buzynski is a public relations specialist with Two Rivers Marketing, based in Des Moines, Iowa.