- Material withstands high temperatures, loads and velocities
- 20% reduction in friction compared to predecessor
- Turbocharged petrol engines make substantial use of technological expertise from Formula One
Royal DSM announced that a special lubricated grade of its Stanyl polyamide 46 is now being used for low-friction slide shoes within the timing system on a new generation of energy-efficient turbocharged petrol engines. The timing system parts are produced by the injection molding company Quadrant Creative Molding & Systems (QCMS) in Tielt, Belgium. The system items are supplied by Tsubakimoto UK in Nottingham, a subsidiary of the global Tsubaki Group, a supplier of automotive timing chain systems.
Turbocharged petrol engines make use of technological expertise from Formula One
These new energy-efficient turbocharged petrol engines make substantial use of the technological expertise that it has built up in recent years in Formula One car racing, and they represent the latest state of the art in engine downsizing. They offer an optimized combination of drivability and fuel consumption, with significantly lower CO2 emissions, despite their higher power.
Low-friction slide shoes within the timing system made from polyamide 46 (source: DSM)
Material withstands high temperatures, loads and velocities
Stanyl PA46 is already widely used in engine components as it can withstand the highly demanding conditions found in this slide shoe, which include high temperatures, high loads, high velocities, harsh chemical environment and heavy vibrations. The material has superior properties compared with rival materials such as PA6 and PA66 (wear resistance can be as much as seven times higher), polyphthalamide (PPA), acetals, and PPS. Each of these has a weakness, whether it be brittleness (PPS, PPAs), low stiffness at high temperatures (POM, PPS, PA6, PA66, PPAs) or high abrasiveness (PPS).
20% reduction in friction compared to predecessor
Until now, the current industry standard for engine components has been Stanyl TW341, but for the new engines, DSM has developed a grade with better friction performance, Stanyl TW371. This provides extra advantages in terms of reduced CO2 emissions and improved fuel economy. Tests have shown a 20% reduction in friction by Stanyl TW371.
The new grade will help to meet gas (carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides) and particulate emission targets under the Euro 6 standard, which came into force in September 2014. Cars will also conform with the EU limit on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions; since last year, all new passenger cars must emit no more than 130 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
