New Developments in Heavy-duty Diesel Pistons from Federal-Mogul Enable Lower Emissions and Fuel Consumption
Customer-tailored technologies for both aluminium and steel pistons provide heavy-duty engine manufacturers with highest reliability and greatest value
Wiesbaden, Germany, 3 September 2014 - Federal-Mogul Powertrain, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML) has developed a range of piston technologies designed to support heavy-duty diesel engine manufacturers in reducing fuel consumption and meeting the emission requirements of Euro-6 and beyond. Advanced piston architectures, manufacturing processes, materials, and treatments that increase durability and reduce friction have been applied to both steel and aluminium pistons, resulting in an unrivalled product portfolio. Federal-Mogul will present its range of piston products at the IAA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hannover from September 23rd to October 2nd 2014, hall 13, stand C28.
“The higher peak cylinder pressures (PCPs) used to increase combustion efficiency are only made possible through advances in piston technology that provide durable solutions under increased thermal and mechanical loads,” explained Norbert Schneider, director, Piston Application Engineering, Federal-Mogul Corporation. “In addition to enabling more efficient combustion, our pistons contribute to further reductions in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by operating with reduced friction.”
Pistons made from aluminium or steel address different challenges due to their individual properties with aluminium being lighter and conducting heat better, and the higher strength of steel offering advantages when faced with very high peak cylinder pressure. Aluminium is still the first choice for smaller sizes of 120mm or below whereas steel is the established solution for truck applications with bore sizes of 130mm or more. A gradual trend is also visible for steel piston applications in the mid-size bore sector, especially for PCPs in excess of 210-220 bar.
“While we are the world’s largest supplier of steel pistons for heavy-duty trucks, our extensive range of proprietary technologies for aluminium pistons means we can provide customers with a greater choice of products when PCP is lower than around 220 bar ,” said Arnd Baberg, Chief Engineer, Piston Product Engineering.
Aluminium Piston Technology
Federal-Mogul has extended the performance of aluminium pistons by improved cooling through advanced architecture that locates the oil-cooled gallery closer to the critically hot region than any conventional piston. This has been made possible by state-of-the-art 2D ultrasonic inspection techniques that ensure consistent casting quality in every finished piston.
The combustion bowl strength of any diesel piston often limits the maximum temperatures and pressures that can be safely used because fatigue cracking of the bowl rim and bowl base can occur, originating at free silicon particles in the aluminium. Federal-Mogul’s proprietary DuraBowl® process uses a controlled re-melting of the bowl rim and/or the bowl base to refine the grain size of the silicon to just one tenth of its original size, significantly extending the fatigue life of a cast piston.
To improve engine efficiency, Federal-Mogul has developed the EcoTough® Diesel coating that reduces friction between the piston skirt and bore surface by up to 13 percent, compared with conventional graphite coatings. EcoTough® Diesel uses solid lubricants and a carbon fibre reinforced polymer base to provide lower friction, higher scuff resistance and improved wear resistance.
Steel Piston Technology
Tested at up to 300 bar PCP, Federal-Mogul’s Monosteel® pistons use the latest evolution of the company’s friction-welded architecture, that enables superior cooling efficiency and minimum weight. Having produced over eight million Monosteel® pistons since their introduction in 2003, Federal-Mogul continues to refine the technology, which provides an optimal solution for the most arduous of applications.
The high loads carried by the piston pin in modern heavy-duty engines means almost all pistons require a highly precise pin bore without using pin bore bushes. Federal-Mogul has developed a unique process using High Precision Electro-Erosion Machining (HPEEM) which removes an exact amount of material, thus precisely shaping the piston pin bore, enabling improved load capacity and reliability.
Steel pistons are available with the same EcoTough® Diesel coating that reduces friction on aluminium pistons. In addition, Federal-Mogul has developed a bowl-protecting coating which contains nanodiamonds in a chrome layer to reflect heat and reduce carbon build-up and bowl rim erosion.
“Because we are market leaders in the technology of both steel and aluminium pistons for heavy-duty diesel engines, we can provide the optimum solution for each customer without compromise, based solely on meeting the specific requirements of the application,” said Schneider.
About Federal-Mogul
Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML) is a leading global supplier of products and services to the world’s manufacturers and servicers of vehicles and equipment in the automotive, light, medium and heavy-duty commercial, marine, rail, aerospace, power generation and industrial markets. The company’s products and services enable improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced vehicle safety.
Federal-Mogul operates two independent business divisions, each with a chief executive officer reporting to Federal-Mogul's Board of Directors.
Federal-Mogul Powertrain designs and manufactures original equipment powertrain components and systems protection products for automotive, heavy-duty, industrial and transport applications.
Federal-Mogul Motorparts sells and distributes a broad portfolio of products through more than 20 of the world’s most recognized brands in the global vehicle aftermarket, while also serving original equipment vehicle manufacturers with products including braking, chassis, wipers and other vehicle components. The company’s aftermarket brands include ANCO® wiper blades; Champion® spark plugs, wipers and filters; AE®, Fel-Pro®, FP Diesel®, Goetze®, Glyco®, Nüral®, Payen® and Sealed Power® engine products; MOOG® steering and suspension parts; and Ferodo®, Jurid® and Wagner® brake products.
Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899 and maintains its worldwide headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The company employs more than 45,000 people in 34 countries. For more information, please visit www.federalmogul.com.
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CONTACT:
Marco Foley
Market Engineering+44 (0)1295 277050
marco.foley@m-eng.com
Ursula Hellstern
Federal-Mogul Corporate Communications EMEA+49 (611) 201 9190
ursula.hellstern@federalmogul.com
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