Waukesha CFR (CFR Engines Inc)

Welcome to Waukesha CFR, the source for fuel rating equipment and home of the renowned CFR engine.

In December 1928, the Cooperative Fuel Research (CFR) Committee accepted the Waukesha Motor Company design for a standardized, single-cylinder test engine to test gasoline knock. The first engine was designed, built, tested and delivered in less than 45 days. With the development of the CFR engine, the automotive and petroleum industries now had a universally accepted standard for defining fuel quality, which enabled refiners and engine builders to tailor their products to perform together more effectively.

Since that first unit was released in 1929, thousands of Waukesha CFR engines have been sold around the world. New models have been launched to meet additional industry needs – a cetane rating unit for diesel fuels, a supercharge version for testing aviation fuel. And numerous improvements have been introduced – most recently, the XCP digital control panels for both the octane and the cetane units. Yet throughout it all, the core design principles and combustion chamber characteristics have not changed – a strong testament to the uniqueness and innovation of the CFR engine that have made Waukesha CFR what it is today.

In mid-2014, it was announced that after having spent many years under the ownership of a variety of large corporations, the Waukesha CFR line was being spun off from GE Energy’s Distributed Power unit, and being returned to private hands once again. CFR Engines Inc. was formed by a private investment group for the purpose of taking on the Waukesha CFR business.

At CFR Engines Inc., we are a group of dedicated individuals with both broad and deep knowledge of the petrochemical industry, of engine technology, of testing and standards, of sales and distribution. We are excited at the tasks that lie ahead of us – to uphold the reputation of the veritable Waukesha CFR name, to bring new innovations to the product line with greater speed, to decrease lead times and improve service response times, and to make the customer experience a better one overall. We hope you are just as excited as we are, and we look forward to what the future will bring.