In order to further improve the efficiency of combustion engines, the automotive industry is working in two directions: On one hand, engine efficiency is being directly increased through the continued development of combustion techniques. On the other hand, methods on how to reduce the weight of the entire vehicle are being explored to reduce fuel consumption indirectly. With this in mind, a number of potentials are also being investigated and implemented, thereby opening up new fields of application for the light-weight material magnesium. The die-cast magnesium gear box housing already being used in large series production has resulted in weight reductions of 25 to 30 per cent in comparison with aluminium housing. Therefore, the potential use of magnesium in engines appears to be promising. The density of magnesium (1.74 g/cm3) is about one-third lower than that of aluminium. Magnesium is therefore the lightest metal that can be used in large-scale series production. Although this is nothing new, the worldwide production of magnesium die-casting components was reduced however to a minimum after the production of magnesium engine blocks and transmission housings for the Volkswagen Beetle were no longer used when the model was discontinued in 1971. The main reasons for this were the high and fluctuating prices for magnesium alloys, as well as their scarcity and only moderate corrosion resistance. It was only in the 1980s that the beneficial material properties, such as the low mass and very good workability once again led to the increased use of magnesium. Other properties such as low strength and in particular creep strength were significantly improved, especially in recent years through the further development of new alloys. Therefore, magnesium has an interesting potential once again for new applications in power train applications.


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    Title :

    New applications for magnesium die-casting in power train. Mass reduction through material and geometry optimisation


    Additional title:

    Neue Einsatzmöglichkeiten für Magnesium-Drukgussteile für Getriebe. Gewichtsreduktion durch Material- und Geometrieoptimierung


    Contributors:


    Publication date :

    2011


    Size :

    12 Seiten, 5 Bilder, 4 Quellen


    Type of media :

    Conference paper


    Type of material :

    Print


    Language :

    English




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