Perf ormance

C OMPONENTS AND S YS TEMS FOR THE ENG I NE AND I TS PERI PHERY 1/20 0 6
S P EC IA L: N EW TW O -S TA G E
DIESEL FUEL FILTER
W ITH IN TEG R ATED W ATER S EPA R ATIO N
Dear readers,
W e are pleased to present the new M A H LE
Performance a platform for w orldw ide
dialog w ith our custom ers. D riven by per-
form ancefollow ing this slogan, w e w ill
report on all aspects m otivating ourselves
and the sector and reveal the expertise
behind M A H LE. This w ill provide you w ith
inform ation on a broad spectrum of sub-
jects such as: innovations, R esearch &
D evelopm ent or trends in the m arket. W e
report from both the M A H LE G roup as w ell
as from individualbusiness units. W e pro-
vide insight into our current product port-
folio, discuss products in specialist contri-
butions and offer inform ation on new pro-
duction processes and technologies. W e
also show you extended application pos-
sibilities for our products and present pio-
neering solutions to problem s, giving you
a direct cutting edge in an increasingly
com petitive global m arket.
A t the sam e tim e, proxim ityis especially
im portant to us. A s a globalplayer am ong
the 30 largest autom otive suppliers, w e
are directly on site w ith 80 locations
w orldw ide and w ith R esearch and D evel-
opm ent centers in all key regions of the
autom otive industry. W e develop and
m anufacture a w ide variety of com ponents
and m odules. That m akes us one of the
leading specialists w ith continuously grow -
ing system com petence in the field of
engine and pow ertrain technology. O ur
sales organization, m anaged as a global
key account organization, ensures direct
contact to our custom ers w orldw ide.
O ur driving force is close integration w ith
the developm ent processes of our custom -
ers. O ne of our strengths is our ability to
w ork very closely together w ith you in
com plex projects and to do so interna-
tionally. O ur R esearch and D evelopm ent
centers enable us to have a flexible pres-
ence w ith corresponding capacities eve-
ryw here, w hether in Europe, A sia, N orth
A m erica or S outh A m erica. W e alw ays set
new standards as a technological leader,
m easuring our perform ance against the
very best. O ur continuously grow ing core
com petence for the com bustion engine
com plete system allow s us to integrate
directly through developm ent tools in the
internal processes of our custom ers, and
hence spur on developm ents w ith greater
efficiency, process safety and cost optim i-
zation thanks to synergy effects. In this
w ay, for exam ple, w e seek a continuous
dialog w ith our custom ers over the entire
project m anagem ent period w ith inter-
disciplinary team s from D evelopm ent, P ro-
duction, Q uality Assurance and Purchasing.
O ur aim is to synchronize all processes
optim ally for the very best perform ance.
Integrated solutions such as com plete
pow er cell units typically offer synergy
effects and enorm ous potential. Even
during the developm ent phase, the indivi-
dualcom ponents can be optim ally coordi-
nated w ith each other by m eans of sim u-
lation. Expenditure is reduced, less test
runs are necessary and the developm ent
tim e can thus be shortened. The trend
tow ards com plete m odules replacing
severalcom ponents w hile integrating addi-
tional functions is set to continue. In the
area of air m anagem ent and liquid
m anagem ent system s, w e also provide
new conceptual insights and innovative
solutions. A nd w ith cylinder head m odu-
les, w e offer com plete expertise from
basic developm ent to production like no
other supplier. The integration of M A H LE
P ow ertrain has enabled us to extend our
engineering and system com petence yet
further.
In the future as w ell, w e shall further
enhance our internationally netw orked
research, developm ent and production
expertise at the focal points of the auto-
m otive industry and in the w orld's grow th
m arkets.
W herever you w ork together w ith M A H LE
in the w orld: O ur aim is to dem onstrate
our outstanding perform ance to you. The
aptly nam ed M A H LE Performance should
help achieve this very goal. W e w ish you
an interesting and enjoyable reading.
Your
Per f or mance 3
E D IT O R IA L
Dr. Bernd Mahr, Member of the Corporate
Management Committee, Sales, Research and
Advanced Engineering
C O N T E N T
THE COMPANY
C orporate organization for m ore perform ance w orldw ide
ENGINEERING SERVICES
A dvanced engineering and system com petence: M A H LE P ow ertrain
MOTORSPORTS
Form ula 1: R acing by new rules:
The challenge for engine developers, drivers and team s
PISTON SYSTEMS
The EC O FO R M

piston: continuous developm ent for greater

perform ance and less w eight
CYLINDER COMPONENTS
P VD coated piston pin for highest fatigue resistance
VALVE TRAIN SYSTEMS
C ylinder heads: a new M A H LE achievem ent
AIR MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
Integration saves installation space and costs: crankcase ventilation
w ith oilm ist separator
LIQUID MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
N ew tw o-stage dieselfuelfilter w ith integrated w ater separation
MAHLE POWERTRAIN
D ow nsizing reduces fuel consum ption
INTERVIEW
N ew regional H eadquarters in S hanghai: M A H LE Performance
spoke to D r. U w e M ohr, D irector R esearch and A dvanced Engineering
of M A H LE International G m bH
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
18
20
22
2 Per f or mance
VISIT US:
3. 6. A pril S A E W orld C ongress S ociety of A utom otive
Engineers International(D etroit, U S A )
27. 28. A pril 27. Engine S ym posium W ien (Vienna, A ustria)
9. 11. M ay European A utom otive C om ponents Expo 2006/Engine Expo
(S tuttgart, G erm any)
26. 30. A ugust M IM S A utosalon (M oscow , R ussia)
21. 28. S eptem ber IA A H eavy D uty Vehicles (H anover, G erm any)
9. 11. O ctober A achener C olloquium Engine and Vehicle Technique
(A achen, G erm any)
18. 27. N ovem ber A uto C hina InternationalA utom otive Industry Exhibition
(B eijing, C hina)
MASTHEAD
Publisher
M A H LE InternationalG m bH
P ragstrae 2646
D -70376 S tuttgart
w w w .m ahle.com
Responsible for the content
D r.B ernd M ahr
Contact
sales@ m ahle.com
P hone +49 (0)7 11-5 01-1 46 12
Fax +49 (0)7 11-5 01-4 41 46 12
Picture credits
M A H LE A rchiv
Concept and design
Lorenz & C om pany W erbeagentur G m bH
R eprint,even partially,
only in accordance w ith and after
authorization through the editor.
M A H LE G m bH ,2006
00007432 D E EN
C O R P O R ATE O R G A N IZATIO N
FOR MORE PERFORMANCE
W O R LD W ID E
Per f or mance 5
T H E C O M P A N Y
4 Per f or mance
As a global, pioneering leader in tech-
nology, MAHLE has aligned its corpo-
rate organization to the growing re-
quirements of international markets.
With these structures, we can offer
our customers working on global plat-
forms and projects across continents
more performance, more benefits,
more synergies and more service for
integrated systems solutions.
A utom obile m anufacturers are placing in-
creasing em phasis on cooperation for the
joint use of platform s and engines. S o-
called w orld engines are often produced
in different regions and countries. A t the
sam e tim e, the num ber of interfaces and
suppliers is decreasing w hile sub-process-
es and products are being outsourced
through increasing use of m odules and
system s. This developm ent calls for glo-
bally active suppliers w ith a presence in
allregions, com bined w ith extensive tech-
nical and financial potential.
Global reach plus proximity to the
customer
A gainst this background, w e have re-
aligned our corporate organization to be
both globally effective and yet custom er-
oriented w ith a key account structure in
the sales divisions and a uniform presence
in the m arket. Follow ing the one face to
the custom erprinciple, key account
m anagers represent all products and ser-
vices across the entire product spectrum
on site at our custom ers. To achieve this,
they w ork closely w ith the relevant P roduct
Lines in all projects. The regionally-based
sales team s of the various key account
m anagers guarantee continuous and rapid
availability on site w ith their technicalspe-
cialists. This yields benefits such as the
reduction of interfaces, significantly sim pli-
fied com m unication and positive effects, in
particular for large projects realized across
P roduct Lines or countries. Thanks to our
globalsales organization, w e are in a per-
fect position to fulfill the future require-
m ents of the global m arket. The integrat-
ed sales activities play a significant role in
increasing efficiency and hence ensuring
faster response tim es.
The five globally organized P roduct Lines
P iston S ystem s, C ylinder C om ponents,
Valve Train S ystem s, A ir M anagem ent
S ystem s and Liquid M anagem ent S ystem s
are closely integrated w ith one another
via centrally organized R esearch and A d-
vanced D evelopm ent, sales and procure-
m ent divisions. The five product lines cover
the original equipm ent for the autom otive
industry together w ith the engineering
service provider M A H LE P ow ertrain, w hich
w as integrated in 2005.
A s autonom ously operating profit centers,
organizationalstructures positioned beside
these serve the A fterm arket, M otorsports
as w ell as S m all Engine C om ponents,
Large Engine C om ponents and Industrial
Filtration m arket segm ents w ith a spe-
cial custom er structure.
Valve Train Systems
C om plete valve train system s as w ell as
their com ponents: cast and com posite
cam shafts, rocker arm s, cam follow ers,
rocker arm shafts and lever m odules,
valves, flat and roller tappets, valve seat
inserts and guides, m achined cylinder
heads and engine blocks as w ellas m ount-
ed cylinder heads and engines, precision
sintered parts, turbocharger parts.
Air Management Systems
C om plete air m anagem ent system s, air fil-
ters, crankcase ventilation system s (w ith
oil m ist separation and pressure regula-
tion), cylinder head and engine covers,
cabin air filters, actuators, blow -by heating
system s.
Liquid Management Systems
O il filter m odules, oil and fuel screw -on
filters, fuel filter m odules, fuel pressure
regulators, inline fuel filters, activated car-
bon filter m odules, heat exchangers for
engines and transm issions, hydraulic oil
filters, air dryers.
R
&
D
S
a
l
e
s
P
r
o
c
u
r
e
m
e
n
t
Product Li nes
Piston Systems
Cylinder Components
ValveTrain Systems
Air Management Systems
Liquid Management Systems
Aftermarket
Small Engine Components
Large Engine Components
Motorsports
Industrial Filtration
MAHLE Powertrain: increasing
engineering and systems competence
W e have strengthened our engineering
and system s com petence w ith the acqui-
sition of the C osw orth Technology G roup
on January 1, 2005, now M A H LE P ow er-
train. This strategic expansion allow s us to
offer our custom ers an even greater spec-
trum of services from developm ent ser-
vices through to integrated pow ertrain and
engine equipm ent.
Read more about MAHLE Powertrain on
pages 6 and 7.
PRODUCT LINES
Piston Systems
A lum inum pistons for gasoline and diesel
engines, articulated and steel pistons for
com m ercial vehicles, piston assem blies
and m odules.
Cylinder Components
P iston rings, piston pins, connecting rods,
cylinder liners, bearings and bushings for
com bustion engines and other autom otive
applications, piston inserts.
Prof i t Cent ers
Per f or mance 7
E N G IN E E R IN G S E R V IC E S
6 Per f or mance
E N G IN E E R IN G S E R V IC E S
MAHLE plus Cosworth Technology
equals MAHLE Powertrain. An equa-
tion with tangible results for our
customers. At the beginning of 2005,
MAHLE acquired the Cosworth Tech-
nology Group with its expertise gained
since 1958 in the area of development
and production for road-going high-
performance engines. (Not to be con-
fused with Cosworth Racing, now
Cosworth Ltd., the manufacturer of
Formula 1 engines). Successful inte-
gration in the MAHLE Group and re-
naming to MAHLE Powertrain on J uly
1, 2005 has enabled us to substantial-
ly extend our international engineering
and systems competence.
Power for the future
A s a system s partner, w e aim to fully uti-
lize future potentials both econom ically
and technologically for our custom ers and
m ake engines even m ore efficient: opti-
m ized for m ore pow er, longer service
lives, reduced fuelconsum ption and low er
em issions. W ith M A H LE P ow ertrain, w e
offer expertise and experience, w hich
extend far beyond their origin in the field
of developing high-perform ance engines.
The com petence of M A H LE P ow ertrain
covers a broad spectrum from engineering
services or integrated prototype hardw are
and softw are for the entire pow ertrain
through to the developm ent of com plete
engines and their production. O ur global
M A H LE sales and developm ent netw ork
allow s us to utilize w orldw ide synergies for
innovative solutions. M A H LE P ow ertrain
has four locations for the developm ent,
production and assem bly of engines: The
tw o developm ent centers in N ortham pton
(U K ) and N ovi near D etroit (M I/U S A ) are
integrated in joint projects in the M A H LE
research and developm ent activities, and
w ork together w ith the other five develop-
m ent centers of the M A H LE G roup. The
tw o production locations in W orcester (U K )
and W ellingborough (U K ) are responsible
for the casting, production and m achining
of cylinder heads and engine blocks as
w ellas engine assem bly for sm alllots. The
first A udiR S 4 and R S 6 engines as w ellas
the Aston M artin V12 engines, for instance,
allhad their origin here and the A udi/VW
V6 2.4 and 2.8 liter engines also com e off
the production line at this site.
Design, Research and Development
Today M AH LE Pow ertrain w ork is involved,
am ongst other things, w ith exhaust em is-
sions and drivability of engines, fuelsaving
concepts, diagnostics as w ell as the
reduction of developm ent tim es from the
concept and production through to dealer
support. This allow s M A H LE P ow ertrain to
offer a w ide range of services from
short-term prototype projects through to
com plete engine program s w ith self-de-
veloped engine concepts including the
production and developm ent of electronic
diagnostics. The experience gained in the
area of com bustion engines extends from
one-cylinder to V12 and allvariants in be-
tw een. C om puter-aided developm ent and
analysis processes enable rapid and cost-
effective designs, w hich can be verified
later in relation to com ponents or in the
entire engine w ith various test facilities.
For this purpose, M A H LE P ow ertrain has
18 fired engine test benches and four
vehicle chassis dynam om eters. In addition
to pow er and torque behavior, the entire
em ission spectrum can also be recorded
and certified. This is of particular benefit
to our custom ers in regard to stricter
exhaust gas regulations due to be im ple-
m ented in the future.
Production and assembly through to
the complete engine
B esides com ponents, M A H LE P ow ertrain
also produces its ow n com plete engines.
This includes casting and m achining cylin-
der crankcases and cylinder heads w ith
series production of up to 120,000 units
each year. A t the sam e tim e, our exten-
sive engineering experience ensures that
each solution w e develop is also optim ized
for production in its design. M oreover, w e
also offer our custom ers the com plete
assem bly of engines tested and deliv-
ered ready to install. Thanks to its broad
range of services and the effective com -
bination of developm ent and production
expertise, M A H LE P ow ertrain has been
involved in over 30 significant program s
for new engine concepts over the past few
years in the autom otive, m arine, aviation,
m otor racing and industrial sectors. W e
invest continuously in research program s
in order to secure our leading position in
autom obile technology. M A H LE P ow ertrain
is currently supporting both internal pro-
jects as w ell as projects at various uni-
versities in England.
MAHLE Powertrain Integrated
powertrain technology:
D evelopm ent, production and assem bly
of high-perform ance engines
From individual com ponents and sub-
system s through to com plete pow ertrain
assem blies for prototypes and series
production
C om plete engine program s from the
concept draft through to production
D em onstration engines and vehicles,
pow ertrain installations
Feasibility studies
P roduct developm ents
S ub-system design program s
Value engineering
B enchm arking of com peting engines
Electronic engine controls, electronic
diagnostics
You can read more about MAHLE Power-
train in the article Downsizing reduces
fuel consumption on pages 20/21.
The origin of MAHLE Powertrain: Cosworth
The fine-sounding nam e C osw orth is a legend in it-
self and closely associated w ith m otor racing.
Founded in 1958 by the tw o English engineers M ike
C ostin and K eith D uckw orth, the com pany develop-
ed rapidly in the sixties and seventies thanks to suc-
cessful innovative program s for high-perform ance
and m otorsport engines. The fam ous C osw orth D FV
engine (D ouble Four Valves) had achieved a totalof
155 G rand Prix victories by 1983, allow ing it to
dom inate Form ula 1 for decades. Yet C osw orth also
m ade a nam e for itself w ith high-perform ance en-
gines for series production vehicles. The first 4-valve
engines for M ercedes-B enz and O pel w ere devel-
oped and produced by C osw orth.
A D VA N C ED EN G IN EER IN G A N D S Y S TEM C O M P ETEN C E
MAHLE POWERTRAIN
Keith Duckworth, GrahamHill (behind the wheel),
Mike Costin and Colin Chapman 1967 together with
the Lotus 49 and Cosworth Ford engine
The combination J imClark/Lotus 49 with the DFV
engine changed the face of Formula 1 racing in
1967
Final assembly at MAHLE Powertrain
M O T O R S P O R T S M O T O R S P O R T S
The Formula 1 season 2006 is set to
start with new rules. Their aim is to
lower costs, increase safety, reduce
circuit times and boost excitement.
The most important change affects the
drive units of the racing cars. The FIA
has consequently specified the use of
V8 engines with 2.4 liter displacement
an enormous challenge for the teams
and engine manufacturers involved.
In other words, everyone has to start
again from scratch. And that means
a potential shift in the relative
strengths of the Formula 1 teams. The
season start in Bahrain looks set to
herald an exciting Grand Prix 2006.
Power limits: The new V8 rule is a real
challenge
A ccording to the new regulations, the
new ly developed 2.4 liter V8 engines have
a pow er of around only 740 H P instead
of 900 at a speed of m ore than 19,000
rpm . In com parison to the previous drive
units that represents a pow er loss of
around 20 percent. A t the sam e tim e, the
engine m ust reliably cope w ith tw o racing
w eekends and hence a service life of up
to 1,500 km . In 2008, this requirem ent w ill
even be three racing w eekends and around
2,200 km . A n enorm ous challenge for
developm ent and production at M A H LE
M otorsports.
MAHLE Motorsports Formula for
success
M A H LE becam e involved in m otorsport
as early as the 1930's a truly w inning
com bination: In 2004, for exam ple 16 out
of a total 18 G rand P rix races w ere w on
w ith M A H LE m otorsport com ponents. In
2005 M A H LE supplied six of the ten team s
yet again both the driver's cham pionship
and design engineer cham pionship w ere
w on w ith M A H LE m otorsport com ponents.
A nd in 2006, six of the eleven team s
opted for the perform ance and reliability
of our com ponents: B M W S auber, Ferrari,
M idland F1 R acing, R ed B ull R acing,
R enault and Toyota.
M A H LE M otorsports has set about tackling
the rule changes at any early stage, coordi-
nating developm ents intensively w ith its
custom ers dow n to every detail. A ll core
processes for m otorsport are brought to-
gether at our m otorsport plant in Fellbach.
A round 190 engineers, designers and pro-
duction or quality specialists w ork here in
close cooperation under one roof w ith
one com m on objective: greater perform -
ance. The m otorsport com ponents provid-
ed m ust alw ays be designed to reduce
friction and w eight w hile retaining the
required durability. The end effect: to further
enhance the engine pow er. The experts at
M A H LE are in continuous contact w ith our
custom ers, enabling them to respond
rapidly and flexibly to the dem anding re-
quirem ents. In this w ay, for exam ple, the
piston m ass could be reduced by 5% on
average from 2004 until 2005 despite
increasing speeds and a doubled running
tim e. M A H LE is one of the driving forces for
outstanding m otorsport success a relia-
ble and com petent partner in pole position.
Bad Vibrations
In a Form ula 1 engine around 900 m oving
parts m ust tolerate and survive speeds of
m ore than 19,000 rpm . M ore vibrations
occur in the new V8 engine generation than
in a V10 engine due to physicalfactors: The
other ignition sequences and ignition gaps
lead to com pletely altered vibration and
less balanced m om ents of inertia. This
results in considerably higher m echanical
loads for the overallsystem , w hich has an
effect on the reliability and service life of the
drive units and the m ain com ponents, such
as the pistons. O w ing to the low er speed
range w hich can be utilized and low er torques
of the V8 engine w ith a defined intake pipe
length, a higher full-load share results in
contrast to the V10 engine in relation to a
com plete racing distance of around 10% .
This entails higher piston tem peratures,
w hich in turn requires an optim ization of the
piston cooling or the use of heat-resistant
alloys.
A further objective is to reduce engine vi-
brations to a tolerable level. Each individual
engine com ponent is com puted and ana-
lyzed in the sim ulation, w hile its behavior is
ascertained w ithin the overall interplay. A
new specification only gets the go-ahead
for racing after extensive endurance runs
on dynam om eters involving thousands of
kilom eters. This is because the new V8 en-
gines have to exhibit the sam e stability as
their tried-and-tested predecessors right
from the beginning, thus setting the highest
dem ands for the quality of allcom ponents.
No variable intake, exhaust and valve
controls allowed
A further crucialchange in the new set of
rules is the prohibition of variable air intake
system s w hich w ere previously used for
optim izing the torque and pow er. A m ore
narrow speed range is now available ow ing
to the fixed passage lengths. Therefore, this
calls for a com prom ise betw een m axim um
pow er and good drivability. B esides the
variable air intake system s, variable
exhaust system s as w ellas valve controls
are prohibited. In the sam e w ay, a long list
of exotic m aterials have been ruled out
the regulations stipulate conventional tita-
nium and alum inum alloys for connecting
rods, valves and pistons.
O ne thing is clear: The conceptualrethink
from V10 to V8 entails enorm ous extra ef-
fort and expense, not only in the engine but
also the entire vehicle.
H ow ever, the objective in m otorsport con-
struction rem ains the developm ent of a
perfectly coordinated com plete package.
W ith high perform ance and reliability.
FORMULA 1: RACING BY NEW RULES
TH E C H A LLEN G E FO R EN G IN E D EVELO P ER S , D R IVER S A N D TEA M S
The most important rules for engines from
2006
From the 2006 season onw ards, only V8 engines
w ith m axim um 2.4 liters displacem ent are perm it-
ted as w ell as older V10 drive units w ith a speed
lim itation still to be defined by the FIA for a trans-
itional period. Turbines, diesel, W ankel engines or
supercharging are not perm itted. A lso prohibited
are variable exhaust pipe lengths, ovalpistons and
energy accum ulators w hich support the engine in
its operation.
In the 2006 season, an engine m ust w ithstand tw o
entire racing w eekends. R epair w ork on additional
units of the engine such as the oilpum p is allow ed.
An engine change is penalized by m oving the driver
back ten places in the start line-up.
Considerable changes expected for engine
manufacturers from 2008 and 2009
O n D ecem ber 21, 2005 the FIA announced the pro-
spective rules w hich are to apply from 2008 on-
w ards in relation to cost reduction and general
standardization. There is a provisional negotiation
basis betw een the FIA and the autom obile m anu-
facturers.
From 2008 onw ards, the engines w ill have to
w ithstand three instead of tw o racing w eekends;
for the transm ission, this num ber is even four.
Each team m ay only use tw o m onoposti(vehicle
chassis) at the racing w eekends.
The speed lim it is to be provisionally restricted
to 19,000 rpm , w hereby an increase to 20,000
rpm is not ruled out.
A 5.75% com ponent of the fuel should consist
of a biologically produced m aterial, w hile even
hybrid engines are to be perm itted for 2009.
The m inim um w eight w ill be reduced from
605 to 550 kg.
O nly m aterials authorized by the FIA m ay be
used in chassis and engine construction.
A m ajor change to the C oncorde A greem ent pro-
vides for chassis and engines to be sold freely
from one team to the next, w hich should m ake
it easier for new team s to take part.
R evolutionary technologies w hich give an indivi-
dualteam a com petitive advantage for a season
and force the other team s to copy this technolgy
cost intensively are to be prohibited at the end
of the first season.
8 Per f or mance Per f or mance 9
As a leading manufacturer of light-
weight pistons for gasoline engines,
MAHLE has constantly redefined the
limits of performance through continu-
ous development and innovative con-
cepts. With the rising price of fuel
making efficient engines ever more
attractive, MAHLE can now offer its
customers an even more economical
solution for engines thanks to its pat-
ented ECOFORM

piston. This makes

the ECOFORM

piston superior to con-

ventional pistons in terms of mass and
performance. When combined with
other refined engine components, the
reciprocating masses of the engine are
reduced.
Continuous development in production
C ontinuous developm ent and optim ization
is the key to technicaladvancem ent for any
product and com pany. M A H LE is renow ned
throughout the w orld for setting the pace of
innovative piston developm ent. O ne of the
latest developm ents in reducing the m ass
in its pistons for lightw eight gasoline en-
gines, the EC O FO R M

piston, has already

been launched on the m arket.
The EC O FO R M

piston is sim ilar to con-

ventional alum inum alloy pistons. B oth
have the sam e m aterial w hile the casting
m olds are also sim ilar. H ow ever, im prove-
m ents in the casting process and m old
design have enabled a significant reduction
in the m ass by up to 20% w ith the EC O -
FO R M

piston.
The differences in the m old design affect
the dem olding process. In conventional
pistons, the side core is released by
straight pulling of the core aw ay from the
cast piston (see figure 1). This casting pro-
cess prevents ring belt undercuts in the
direction of the pin and restricts the design
of the skirt area. The box w alls are parallel
or sym m etrical to the piston center axis
(see figure 2).
In the EC O FO R M

process, the w indow

insert rotates on a pin as the pin core is
pulled straight out of the m old (see figure
3). This enables undercuts of the piston
ring grooves. This new casting m ethod
offers design engineers new opportunities
for w eight reduction. A large pocket in the
balcony in the direction of the bolt reduces
the m ass of the piston, w hile the shape
can be changed to m eet the design and
perform ance requirem ents of the custom er.
Instead of the edge of the w indow being
parallelto the centerline as in conventional
pistons, it is oblique and round in shape
w ith the EC O FO R M

piston. The distance

from the center of the piston is larger at the
bottom of the skirt than at the top; this
gives the skirt a bell-like shape. The com bi-
nation of change in the w indow shape and
inclination of the w indow w all provide a
reduction of about 19% in the surface area
of the skirt.
The inner core needs to be changed in or-
der to m atch the w indow incline. The inner
shape design can be adapted w ith repo-
sitioned w indow w alls, w hich reduces the
w eight of the piston. B y m aintaining a con-
stant w allthickness, the inner core follow s
the curvature of the rounded w indow . This
adds stiffness to the skirt. The use of a sin-
gle piece inner core can then be an option.
A draft is not needed since over half of the
surface area that w ould need to be drafted
in conventionalpistons is already angled.
A s described above, the EC O FO R M

piston
and conventionalpistons are visually differ-
ent (see figure 4). The w eight of the EC O -
FO R M

piston is low er and is distinguished

by im proved durability.
Continuous development in piston
performance
W ith the reduction of m ass and running
surface in the skirt area, the EC O FO R M

piston has enabled a reduction in friction

and hence an im provem ent in the running
condition. The results recorded in the graph
below (see figure 5) indicate the success of
THE ECOFORM

PISTON
C O N TIN U O U S D EVELO P M EN T
FO R G R EATER P ER FO R M A N C E A N D LES S W EIG H T
10 Per f or mance Per f or mance 11
P IS T O N S Y S T E M S P IS T O N S Y S T E M S
Figure 3:
Swivel window mold casting tool
Figure 4:
Conventional piston (left) versus
ECOFORM

piston (right)
Figure 2:
Side view of a conventional piston
Figure 1:
Conventional mold
the EC O FO R M

piston along w ith w eight-

optim ized rings and connecting rods (test
num bers 2 and 3) in com parison to con-
ventional pistons (test num ber 1). P relim i-
nary testing on a piston w ith 25% less skirt
surface area show ed that it even im proved
the hydrodynam ic properties of the EC O -
FO R M

piston, w ith a significant reduction

in the m iddle and upper engine speed
range (test num ber 4). These results reveal
that M A H LE is on the right course w ith
developm ent of the EC O FO R M

piston.
A piston optim ized in this w ay form s a very
com pact lightw eight assem bly in com bina-
tion w ith a stepped connecting rod using
M A H LE's new 36M nVS 4 forged steeland
a piston pin w ith conicalends. Initialdevel-
opm ent results indicate that the oscillating
m asses of the piston/ring/bolt/connecting
rod unit could be reduced by 17 to 18%
w ithout decreasing the strength of the
individualcom ponents.
The EC O FO R M

piston is a trem endous step

tow ards m ore efficient gasoline engines
w ith low er fuelconsum ption. Thanks to tar-
geted and continuous developm ent, M AH LE
rem ains the driving force for greater perform -
ance w ith innovative designs and concepts
as the w orld's leading piston m anufacturer.
Figure 5:
Performance scuffing resistance
C Y LIN D E R C O M P O N E N T S
MAHLE has always been enhancing
innovative developments which are
more powerful than anything yet exist-
ing through research and development.
By thinking in systems and interrela-
tions and the optimized coordination of
all components, further performance
reserves can be mobilized. The piston
pin may be a small component but it
plays an important role for the perform-
ance of an engine. MAHLE piston pins
excel through utmost quality, precision
and application variety. The product
portfolio comprises diameters from 6
to 250 mm. For the application in pas-
senger car engines, piston pins are form-
ed by MAHLE with the latest multiple-
stage molding presses thus achieving
innovative and complex molds for high-
er stress-resistance. The increasing
ignition pressures require a permanent
optimization of the piston pins stress
resistance. For highly stressed en-
gines, MAHLE has therefore developed
piston pins of case-hardened steels or
nitrided steels with PVD coating.
PVD Coated Piston Pin
P iston pins m ust have a high fatigue resis-
tance as w ell as w ear and seizure resis-
tance during contact w ith the piston and
connecting rod. C ase-hardened steels and,
in a sim ilar w ay, nitrided steels revealopti-
m um properties for achieving these re-
quirem ents. N evertheless, bushings in the
bores are often necessary in order to
attain acceptable tribological conditions.
For both w eight and cost reduction, en-
gine m anufacturers pursue the aim of
superseding bushings. The resulting stress
conditions and contact partners often
m ake the use of a coated piston pin ne-
cessary. Furtherm ore, a positive influence
on the friction perform ance is expected.
In racing applications, coatings based on
P VD (plasm a vapor deposition, physical
gas phase separation process, high-vacu-
um vaporization process), w hich are often
based on D iam ondLikeC arbon (D LC ), have
proven their m erit. Tests are currently
being carried out for the series production
capability of P VD -coated piston pins.
C oating tem peratures above 200C seem
to be critical for coating case-hardened
steel, as high tem peratures lead to a
reduction of surface hardness and core
strength. In such conditions, nitrided steel
can be used because increased tem pera-
tures w illnot reduce the core strength and
surface hardness.
M AH LEs experience m eans value enhance-
m ent for custom er products.
Experience w ith PVD coatings for various
products.
Experience w ith P VD coatings for case-
hardend and nitrided steels.
Experience w ith P VD coatings for piston
pins of Form ula 1 as w ell as high-per-
form ance applications.
M onolayer coatings such as C rN , D LC ,
W C /C , TiN .
M ultilayer coatings such as a com bina-
tion of C rN and D LC .
C Y LIN D E R C O M P O N E N T S
Per f or mance 13 12 Per f or mance
PVD COATED PISTON PIN
FO R H IG H ES T FATIG U E R ES IS TA N C E
Testings which leave nothing to chance
For highly stressed com ponents such as piston pins,
m aterial testing and quality control are the key to
increased com ponent safety and exclude the risk
of engine dam ages. Therefore, M A H LE has invested
and w ill further invest m uch into testing m eth-
ods in this sector. The m ost m odern test rigs en-
sure that the com ponents are tested and certified
in practicaltest runs. The high quality requirem ents
of the autom otive industry are certainly fulfilled.
Performance scuffing resistance
A P VD -coated piston pin increases w ear
resistance, cuffing resistance, seizure re-
sistance and dry-running properies w hile
reducing friction.
14 Per f or mance Per f or mance 15
It is the cylinder head that makes the
engine intelligent. Although there is
nothing exclusive about this state-
ment, the complexity of the assembly
is beyond doubt a complexity which
has increased in recent years due to
extensive measures aimed at greater
flexibility in sub-systems for carbure-
tion and charge exchange for instance.
The performance characteristics of a
combustion engine, its fuel consump-
tion and raw emissions are determined
by charge exchange, carburetion and
combustion performance parameters
and, more so than ever, by the cylinder
head and its adjoining components. At
the same time, the cylinder head com-
plete system plays a crucial role in
determining the manufacturing costs
of the complete engine, as this essen-
tially defines the engine concept.
Cost-effective series solutions in the
sense of an intelligent simplicity
require a uniform and simultaneous
development for this, owing to the di-
verse and reciprocal dependencies
between the individual systems in re-
lation to the combustion process.
In response to this, M A H LE pursues a
m odular approach in conjunction w ith
cylinder head refinem ent, and is able to
develop and produce cylinder head m od-
ules itself. The proven com petence of its
subsidiary M A H LE P ow ertrain in the devel-
opm ent of high-perform ance engines
form s the basis behind the system s ex-
pertise of M A H LE. This know -how com -
plem ents the Valve Train S ystem s P roduct
Line of the parent G roup in a unique w ay.
It is especially im portant in this context
that M A H LE P ow ertrain also offers its ow n
production facilities (precision casting,
m achining, assem bly and production) for
prototypes and larger series in addition to
its developm ent experience.
The acquisition of C osw orth Technology by
M A H LE in 2005 m arked an extension to
the product portfolio unprecedented in the
history of the com pany. D ecades of expe-
rience in developing high-perform ance and
m otorsport engines especially w orth
noting here is the legendary D FV Form ula
1 engine of the 1960s and 1970s, w hich
notched up a total of 155 G rand P rix vic-
tories, and the first four-valve engines for
M ercedes and O pel at the end of the
1980s have created a skilled team , w hich
recently provided a crucial contribution to
O EM engine developm ents w ith bench-
m arking potential. The broad horizon of ex-
perience in developm ent activities extends
from conceptual studies, all areas of C A E
analysis, design, functional developm ent
on com ponent and dynam om eters as w ell
as engine application and calibration
through to com plete vehicle integration.
The fact that the charge exchange w ith the
resultant (because induced) com bustion
cham ber m ovem ent can m ore or less be
regarded as an elem ent connecting all
developm ent w ork on the engine form s the
basis underlying the profound expertise of
our engineers in the area of cylinder head
developm ent. The nam e C osw orth is close-
ly associated w ith high-perform ance en-
gines w hose unrivalled perform ance prop-
erties are the result of m eticulous fine-
tuning of their gas-dynam ic param eters.
Valve tim ing, valve lifts, channelgeom etries
and intake pipe lengths, as w ell as collec-
tor volum es and their distribution have
alw ays been standard features of our devel-
opm ent activities. 100 H P/lfrom a natu-
rally-aspirated engine under conventional
series conditions are not the result of exot-
ic high-tech applications, but rather target-
ed and hence efficient system coordination.
D irect injection, the desire for increased
perform ance through supercharging as w ell
as the required reduction in untreated en-
gine em issions e.g. through internalor cool-
ed external exhaust gas recirculation pose
new challenges w hich significantly extend
our standard repertoire ow ing to the in-
creasing num ber of individual com ponents
w hich have to be harm onized w ith each
other. O nly an understanding of all interre-
lations guarantees optim um (cost/benefit)
and robust solutions (tolerance and sensi-
tivity to w ear) now and in the future.
M A H LE is currently w orking on num erous
new developm ents w hich w ill further
increase operational flexibility and hence
the efficiency of future m ass-production
engines. These developm ents are con-
centrated on the cylinder head and bene-
fit from the expertise of M A H LE P ow er-
train. S ystem s for valve deactivation or for
valve lift changeover, as w ell as system s
w hich ultim ately enable com pletely new
com bustions processes, such as controlled
auto-ignition in gasoline engines are
w orthy of note here. A s such system s
som etim es require changes to existing
basic designs of the cylinder head or have
to be taken into account right from the
start w ith new designs, being able to
develop the cylinder head system from a
single source represents an obvious
advantage.
The driving force behind the developm ent
process is the sim ulation, w hich supports
the concept form ulation and design pro-
cess and provides im portant inform ation
on the test program s required. W hether
charge exchange and engine process cal-
culations, non-linear therm o-m echanicalor
dynam ic structural analyses, C FD calcula-
tions e.g. for designing charge exchange
elem ents, com bustion cham ber geom e-
tries, injection system configurations or flow
analyses in the cooling w ater jacket, dynam -
ic m ultibody sim ulations and N VH optim i-
zations: the cylinder head com plete system
is right at the center of this w ork. The sim u-
lation w ork is coordinated according to
requirem ents on the basis of specified pro-
ject m ilestones. Targeted trials, com ponent
tests or dam age analyses are applied for
this, all of w hich can be provided at our
com pany. Sim ultaneous engineering consti-
tutes an essentialfactor for efficient use of
the sim ulation. This in turn calls for speed
and an accurate selection of the sim ulation
tools. Experience and com petence are
indispensable here, as is integrated project
planning w ith agreed design review s during
the developm ent phase.
The production facilities, already used pre-
dom inantly for the production and assem -
bly of cylinder heads, constitute a further
cornerstone of our system s com petence.
In addition to the efficient foundry for pre-
cision die-cast parts in alum inum , M A H LE
P ow ertrain also benefits from m achining
centers suitable for series production as
w ellas assem bly lines w ith a levelof flexi-
bility allow ing for the production and
assem bly of prototype batch sizes at the
sam e tim e.
The foundry uses the patented C O S C A S T
process w hich has been specially develop-
ed for true-to-shape and w eight-optim ized
com ponents capable of w ithstanding ex-
trem e loads. Very sm all w all thicknesses
can be realized thanks to the use of zir-
con sand, w hich exhibits the low est possi-
ble core displacem ent ow ing to its low
therm al expansion in the m elt. M oreover,
the m elt is extrem ely pure due to the na-
ture of the process w hen m elting the
alum inum feedstock, w ith the result that
trem endously hom ogenous structures can
be achieved in the subsequent com po-
nent. In particular, filling the m old via a
m elt pum p from below , i.e. headfirst,
guarantees m inim um turbulences during
the casting. This typically prevents the
oxide layer alw ays present on the m elt
from interacting w ith the core m aterialof
the com ponent, instead allow ing it to
penetrate the w alls of the m old last
com ing into contact w ith the m elt. The
controlled m old filling also results in very
few gas traps in the com ponent and the
low est possible residual stresses.
In order to ensure the highest levelof qual-
ity, all the quality tests necessary for this
(com ponent m easurem ents, m etallurgical
m aterialtesting, real-tim e X-ray tests, pres-
sure tests, engine hot tests) are an inte-
gralcom ponent of our production process.
M A H LE P ow ertrain has the task of finding
the optim um solution under specified
boundary conditions. C om pliance w ith stat-
utory em ission lim its, achieving the low est
possible fuel consum ption and ensuring
low production costs w ith high system reli-
ability are indispensable elem ents of our
w ork. W e are also pleased to assum e the
added bonus for our custom ers: service
and perform ance values best-in-class,
for driving pleasure and com fort in every-
day road traffic.
CYLINDER HEADS:
A N EW M A H LE A C H IEVEM EN T
3d in-cylinder flow field (left), mixture formation (middle) and combustion (right) in a GDI engine
Thermal Stress on the cylinder head (a), instantaneous surface temperatures (b),
cooling flow in the water jacket (c) and contact pressure distribution to the cylinder head gasket (d)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
VA LV E T R A IN S Y S T E M S
MAHLE crankcase ventilation systems
are reliably cleaning the oil-loaded
gases out of the crankcase. Thus, oil
consumption can be decreased further
and emission limits are fulfilled. The
oil mist separator, integrated into the
crankcase ventilation, separates the
aerial from the liquid elements. The
extracted oil is newly integrated into
the oil circulation and the purified air
into the intake system. The quality of
the oil mist separator has direct
influence on the combustion and the
oil consumption of the engine. Oil mist
separators steadily gain importance
due to the pollution during changing
operating conditions of premium com-
ponents such as mass-airflow sensor,
turbo charger, charged air cooler or
exhaust sensor.
Oil mist separator and pressure
regulation
For gasoline and diesel engines, pressure
in the crankcase is lim ited by ventilation
using spring-loaded valves either regulat-
ing the pressure or lim iting the flow rate.
The valves are developed at M A H LE and
are designed as either m em brane or
throttle valves integrated in the ventilation
system . D ifferent separators can be ap-
plied to separate the oilm ist from the gas
flow . The separator is chosen w ith respect
to requirem ents such as the necessary
separation rate and perm issible pressure
drop, the existing installation space as w ell
as costs and m aintenance requirem ents.
Per f or mance 17
A IR M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M S
16 Per f or mance
A IR M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M S
What purpose does crankcase
ventilation with oil mist separation
serve?
D uring the com bustion process of a piston
engine, gases w ill alw ays pass by pistons
and rings into the crankcase. D ue to high
tem peratures and high pressure differen-
ces betw een the com bustion cham ber and
crankcase, the oil adhering at the piston
is carried along and dispersed into fine oil
m ist.
For environm entalreasons, it is not accept-
able to em it the engine ventilation into the
atm osphere. Instead, the blow -by gases
are cleaned of the oilm ist and returned to
the com bustion process. This gives rise to
tw o tasks. The resulting overpressure in
the crankcase m ust be discharged to a
defined vacuum level using a ventilation.
In addition to this, the ventilation m ust be
cleaned of the oil droplets by separation.
The quality of the oil m ist separation has
a significant im pact on the em ission behav-
ior of an engine and crankcase ventilation
is thus of increasing im portance w ithin
engine developm ent.
Separation mechanisms and their
implementation
M A H LE uses inertia-driven separators,
developed either as a passive or as an
active system . A m ong the passive inertia-
driven separators are spirals, im pactors
and cyclones. B ased on a sim ple construc-
tion principle, they are resistant to dirt,
m aintenance-free and achieve a good to
very good separation perform ance. In the
case of a passive system w ith very high
separation requirem ents, additional fiber
filter elem ents can be used follow ing the
inertia-driven separator. A m ong the active
system s are driven centrifuges, such as
the plate separator w hich com bines low
pressure drop w ith outstanding separation
perform ance. Inside the engine, separation
system s are also com bined, e. g. w ith the
cam shaft.
M A H LE integrates crankcase ventilation
system s in valve covers or oilm odules. This
results in integrative com ponents w hich save
costs and installation space. These have
been developed at M A H LE w ith respect to
future requirem ents regarding ventilation,
separation and functional integration.
IN TEG R ATIO N S AVES IN S TA LLATIO N S PA C E A N D C O S TS
CRANKCASE VENTILATION
W ITH O IL M IS T S EPA R ATO R
Multi-cyclone as oil mist separator with pressure
regulating valve
Schematic diagramtwo-stage filter element with
integrated water separator
Treatm ent system s for diesel fuel also
have to take into account the increasing
use of engines and autom obiles through-
out the w orld. Indeed, fuelqualities differ-
ing from region to region w ith greatly
varying w ater contents require a con-
stantly high level of particle and w ater
separation. In addition to this, the previous
gear prelim inary feed pum p is increasing-
ly being abandoned in favor of an electri-
calpum p in the tank, w hereby the fuelfil-
ter is now located on the pressure-side.
H ow ever, as a result of this, standard fil-
ters can often no longer satisfy the require-
m ents, even if they generally attain the
values required by the standards.
Thrust instead of suction
The conversion from suction-side fuelfilters
to pressure-side fuel filters has also had
direct effects on the w ater separation. The
gear or turbine pum ps norm ally used in
the tank cause high flow speeds locally
ow ing to sharp edges, the flow partially
separates, turbulent zones develop, and
the fluid flow s are diverted to a consider-
able extent. The previously relatively large
w ater droplets are disintegrated intensive-
ly and form an em ulsion w ith the fuel.
A lthough the flow diagram of the test
bench setup in accordance w ith IS O 4020
is m ore like the pressure-side fuelsystem ,
18 Per f or mance Per f or mance 19
LIQ U ID M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M S LIQ U ID M A N A G E M E N T S Y S T E M S
boundary condition called for the new
concept to also include the previous com -
pact package of the M A H LE filter.
Facts in water separation
The w ater separating capability of a filter
depends on a large num ber of factors. It
essentially depends on the stability of the
em ulsion w hich, for its part, is affected by
the interfacial tension, the droplet size as
w ellas the fuelpum p and its volum e flow .
Further factors are the pipe arrangem ent,
any non-return flow valves that m ay be
present as w ell as the design of the filter
on the flow side.
The m ost im portant param eter for the
stability of an em ulsion is the interfacial
tension. The low er this is, the greater the
input required for the w ater separation.
The interfacial tension, for its part, de-
pends on the additives of the fuel. W inter
diesel is provided w ith a greater am ount
of additives and therefore has a low er
interfacial tension than sum m er diesel. A s
a result, M A H LE docum ents the interfacial
tension before each m easurem ent.
the test arrangem ent m ore resem bles the
conditions of a suction-side standard filter.
The diaphragm pum p to be used accord-
ing to IS O 4020 only has very little influ-
ence on the size of the w ater droplets
w hich have a diam eter of 0.1 to 2 m m . A
pressure-side fuel system w ith electrical
fuel pum p, as in the vehicle, nevertheless
leads to droplet sizes of 10 to 50 m at
identical w ater volum es and fuelqualities.
M A H LE responded to these challenges
w ith a new test bench, w hich enables re-
producible and com parable results par-
allel to the vehicle m easurem ents. To be
better able to evaluate the w ater separat-
ing efficiency of the new concepts,
M A H LE has replaced the diaphragm pum p
and m ore or less the com plete pipe
system w ith originalvehicle com ponents in
the test bench.
S m aller droplets alw ays require a greater
degree of separation. Fuel filters w ith an
integrated w ater separator w ere therefore
developed, w hich also exhibit a uniform ly
high separating efficiency. A n im portant
The new two-stage main filter
O n the basis of the test series results,
M A H LE has opted for tw o separate pro-
cess stages during w ater separation:
agglom eration of w ater droplets and sepa-
ration of the w ater. The first filter phase
consists of a cellulose filter m edium w ith
an untreated m elt-blow n contact surface
a fully synthetic P ES fiber layer for increas-
ing the dirt absorption capacity. B oth the
base paper and the m elt-blow n layer opti-
m ally cause the m any sm all droplets to
coalesce into larger ones. The particle fil-
ter designed as a pleat star even agglom -
erates the finest w ater droplets.
The second filter phase consists of a
w ater separator, w hose hydrophobic fabric
w ith a m esh w idth of 25 m divides the
em ulsion now only slightly stable, thus
separating the w ater. A s this occurs on
the clean side of the filter, it is referred to
as a clean-side w ater separation.
In order to save space, the second filter
stage is arranged coaxially inside the pleat
star. The prerequisite for this w as both a
higher efficiency of the filter m edium in the
first phase as w ell as the avoidance of a
dip tube in the center of the filter used on
the pressure-side. In this w ay, the tw o-stage
filter elem ent com bines im proved w ater
separating efficiency w ith durability and a
com pact package. The filters already used
in series protect the injection system reli-
ably against dam age resulting from exces-
sively high w ater contents in the diesel
fuel.
W ith integration of the fuel quality and
droplet size distribution in the m easure-
m ents, M A H LE has anticipated a draft of
the IS O study group. The paper provides
for the consideration of these param eters
so as to be able to carry out not only
application-specific but also com parative
m easurem ents in different laboratories in
the future.
For modern passenger car and truck
fuel systems, a highly efficient water
separation is essential. As for exam-
ple in the passenger car the gear pre-
liminary feed pump is increasingly
being abandoned, a pressure-side fuel
filter becomes necessary. Under these
conditions, standard filters usually do
not fulfill these requirements. With the
new MAHLE development, the injec-
tion system is safely protected from
damages caused by excessively high
water contents in the fuel.
Water separation concept for pressure-
side diesel filter systems
Varying requirem ents w orldw ide for fuel
system s and qualities also pose new chal-
lenges for filtration. M A H LE has therefore
developed a tw o-stage diesel fuel filter
w ith integrated w ater separator.
N EW TW O -S TA G E
DIESEL FUEL FILTER
W ITH IN TEG R ATED W ATER S EPA R ATIO N
20 Per f or mance Per f or mance 21
M A H LE P O W E R T R A IN
Direct injection opens up new oppor-
tunities for supercharging in gasoline
engines, as downsizing really comes
into its own in conjunction with high-
pressure charging. The combination of
direct injection and supercharging is
today's prior art in diesel engines. It is
this development in particular which
has paved the way for advances in the
specific power and torque of low fuel-
consumption, auto-ignition systems
and played a crucial role in the diesel
boom of the last few years.
The introduction of direct injection in gas-
oline engines creates new opportunities
for supercharging in these engines as w ell.
S om e of the draw backs in supercharged
m ulti-point injection engines are now com -
pensated for w ith direct injection. A bove
all, the vaporization of the fuel w ithin the
com bustion cham ber plays a significant
role in cooling the com bustion process.
The lim it tem perature w as also increased
further thanks to advances in the m ateri-
als for turbochargers. A s a result, the fuel/
air m ixture no longer needs to be greased
to such an extent at higher loads. A sig-
nificant reduction in fuel consum ption is
consequently achieved in real-life driving
m ode.
The torque is proportionally dependent on
the displacem ent and the break m ean
effective pressure. Increasing the break
m ean effective pressure m eans that the
displacem ent can also be reduced w ith-
out adversely affecting the engine perform -
ance. In other w ords, dow nsizing entails
increasing the pow er and torque perform -
ance of sm aller engines so that they can
replace larger engines. These engines
have the follow ing advantage: sm aller en-
gines w ith less displacem ent (possibly w ith
less cylinders) consequently w ork in m ore
effective operating points, w hile exhibiting
less losses through friction and charge
exchange, accom panied by im proved effi-
ciency. This reduces the fuelconsum ption
yet further.
N evertheless, m any challenges stillrem ain
as regards dow nsizing. In particular, the
increased therm aland m echanicalstresses
as w ellas knocking tendencies in the com -
bustion process create problem s. Thus, for
instance, the response perform ance of
dow nsized turboengines during acceleration
from low er speeds is m uch less effective
than in larger naturally-aspirated engines.
Engine
2.4-liter V6
1.8 T
Max.
Performance [kW]
125
120
Max. Torque
[Nm]
230
225
Vmax
[km/h]
225
228
0 100 km/h
[sec.]
8.8
8.6
Fuel Consumption (l/100 km)
WithinCityLimits OutsideCityLimits Average
13.6
11.3
7.2
6.4
%Improvement
9.5
8.2
13.7
Figure 2
Performance, torque and fuel consumption for a
vehicle with 2.4-liter engine compared to an engine
with 25%less displacement through downsizing
DOWNSIZING
R ED U C ES FU EL C O N S U M P TIO N
M A H LE P O W E R T R A IN
Intensive w ork is currently being carried
out tow ards solutions for these problem
areas. Turbochargers w ith variable geom -
etry, tw o-stage turbocharging or also a
com bination of turbo and m echanical
chargers are options here. N evertheless,
these system s all have an upper lim it in
the level of charging.
S upercharging w ith charging pressures of
m ore than three bar looks set to provide
a further increase in efficiency. H ow ever,
the com ponent strength then requires
engine operation in the M iller process,
w hich thereby restricts the proportionally
increasing m axim um pressure. P art of the
com pression is displaced outw ards as a
result. The cooled charge air has a very
high density, resulting in break m ean effec-
tive pressures w ell above 25 bar. A t the
sam e tim e, the low finalcom pression tem -
perature prevents knocking during com -
bustion. S uch a concept enables the en-
gines to be dow nsized even further and
allow s corresponding consum ption advan-
tages, provided that the response perform -
ance and low -end torque are at an effec-
tive level as a result.
Figure 1:
Shift in operating point through downsizing
These benefits in real-life custom er opera-
tion im prove the acceptance of dow nsizing
engines. Increasing fuelprices have caused
people to change their w ays of thinking.
S upercharging w illincreasingly be used for
fuelsaving in gasoline engines rather than
just as a m eans to boost perform ance in
top m otorizations.
A s a system s partner to the autom otive
industry, M A H LE can offer its custom ers
com petent support for technologicallead-
ership w ith integrated solutions in the area
of dow nsizing.
MAHLE is represented in all key re-
gions of the automotive industry with
development activities as well as its
own technology centers. A further de-
velopment center in Shanghai/China is
set to open its doors on April 19, 2006.
This ensures that MAHLE is present
with technological expertise in one of
the most important growth regions of
the world. MAHLE Performance spoke
to Dr. Uwe Mohr, Director Research
and Advanced Engineering of MAHLE
International GmbH about the oppor-
tunities in China, as well as interna-
tional networking and regional anchor-
ing of our technological expertise in
the markets.
China a growth market. What tasks
will the new regional Headquarters
in Shanghai assume central research
and development projects as well?
The new regionalH eadquarters in S hang-
hai w ill com bine central functions for our
production plants in C hina, for instance
developm ent, testing, laboratories, sales,
hum an resources, IT and finances. W e shall
not have a research center there in the
sense of fundam ental research, as has
been incorrectly portrayed by som e in the
m edia. O ur approach is not to transfer
core com petencies in the areas of research
and predevelopm ent to C hina, but instead
to serve the local m arket w ith its specific
requirem ents through a localdevelopm ent
team . The developm ent center is therefore
integrated w ithin the new regional H ead-
quarters developm ent functions such as
design, com putation, com ponent testing,
engine testing, electronics laboratory, che-
m ical laboratory, m etallography etc. being
located here. In other w ords, allthe func-
tions required to develop a product from
the blank sheet of paper to testing in the
engine and, finally, approvalby the custom -
er. W e have R &D centers in S tuttgart, N or-
tham pton, D etroit, S o P aulo, Tokyo and
shortly in S hanghaitoo. A nd only a few of
these are actually involved in pure re-
search and predevelopm ent w ork.
What does the market in China call
for? How do you collaborate
with automobile manufacturers?
In general, allthe regions have their ow n
requirem ents. O ur aim is to fulfillthem re-
gionally as w ell, w ith regionalcontacts and
close interaction betw een custom ers and
suppliers. The C hinese m arket dem ands
products at very low prices. The localex-
haust gas regulations are currently at the
level w e had several years ago. W hen it
com es to developm ent, autom obile m anu-
facturers in C hina tend to follow the tradi-
tional route: They w ill typically have the
com plete engine developed by a Europe-
an engineering service provider, and then
produce it in C hina.
Why is MAHLE going to Shanghai
then?
In the future, C hina w ill have its ow n
autom otive industry w ith self-sufficient
areas of developm ent. A nd w e can expect
this trend to continue at a fast pace. W hat
is lacking for the tim e being, though, is
the expertise of a supplier in the country,
w ho speaks the sam e language and can
be integrated sim ultaneously in the devel-
opm ent process. W e have decided to
build up a localdevelopm ent capacity just
w here the m arket needs it. If w e supply
our custom ers on site today, that w illgive
us unrivalled opportunities for establishing
lasting and viable supplier relations w ith
a high levelof custom er loyalty. W e there-
fore attach considerable im portance to
project team s w ith sales people and de-
velopers w ho know the regionalconditions
in this m arket, w orking together effective-
ly w ithin a close netw ork. A nd all this on
the basis of a standardized M A H LE prod-
uct developm ent process, w hich is accept-
ed internationally and ensures perm anent
quality right from the start.
How extensive is the knowledge
transfer to China?
W e already carry out production at seven
plants in C hina. N um erous com panies lim it
their activities in C hina to production for
com petitive reasons. You can view this
from tw o sides. W e believe that a collabo-
ration based on the developm ent of tech-
nologicalcom petence in the custom er's
ow n language enables an open dialog
and offers m ore opportunities on a long-
term basis. In S hanghai, w e are prim arily
concerned w ith custom er requirem ents
and developm ent over the next three to
five years. To this end, em ployees from
S hanghaihave received specialtraining on
our P roduct Lines in different regions over
a period of 6 to 9 m onths. B ut one thing
is clear: The fundam ental expertise at
M A H LE rem ains at centrallocations w here
w e actually carry out fundam entalresearch
and custom er-independent predevelop-
m ent. There w e w ork on tasks w hose
significance is trans-regional and long-
term , and develop products for the next
decade.
How does the international network-
ing of development centers work?
Through extensive project m anagem ent
w ith internationally experienced project
m anagers w ho are fam iliar w ith the unique
character of a country's culture and custom -
ers, and w ho provide targeted im petus to
developm ent w ith pow erful process tools
and the very best staff. K ey priorities are
defined together w ith the individual devel-
opm ent centers in the regions, determ in-
ing w hich issues require greater attention.
In this w ay, w e can com bine our energies
and achieve synergy effects.
What advantages does MAHLE offer
the market with its structure?
W hen it com es to the interaction of com -
ponents and products, it is safe to say
that w e enjoy the m ost com prehensive
system s expertise there is in the area of
com bustion engines and engine periph-
erals. That puts us in a very strong posi-
tion for the future. To rem ain ahead in re-
spect to costs, perform ance and w eight in
an increasingly com petitive field of optim i-
zation, you need a firm grasp of the inter-
relations. The m ore you understand about
how the products influence each other,
the greater the optim ization potentials you
can achieve. This is reinforced by our
close contacts w ith science and academ ia
com bined w ith our expertise that is both
netw orked globally and firm ly anchored re-
gionally.
What are your personal interests,
Dr. Mohr?
I am particularly interested in the subject
of know ledge m anagem ent the endeav-
or to ensure that the expertise w e have
built up is available to everyone w ho
needs it for their w ork. A fter all, our objec-
tive is to inspire our custom ers w ith out-
standing perform ance tim e and again.
M A H LE resem bles a dynam ically grow ing
organism and, as such, enables trem en-
dous scope for individual creativity and
it is extrem ely satisfying to successfully
achieve our goals w ith this creative force.
Dr. Mohr, we thank you for the
interview.
N EW R EG IO N A L H EA D Q U A R TER S IN
SHANGHAI
22 Per f or mance Per f or mance 23
IN T E R V IE W IN T E R V IE W
Dr. Uwe Mohr, Director Research and Advanced
Engineering of MAHLE International GmbH
The new regional Headquarters of MAHLE
in Shanghai