Renault Trucks reports that it is working on an additive manufacturing (AM) process to improve the performance of engines.
The Renault Trucks Lyon Powertrain Engineering department has made a prototype DTI 5 4- cylinder Euro-6 step C engine using 3D printing.
Although the complete engine was already designed virtually, rocker arms and camshaft bearing caps were manufactured by metal 3D printing and successfully bench-tested for 600 hours inside a Euro-6 engine.
‘The aim of this project is to demonstrate the positive impact of metal additive manufacturing on the size and weight of an engine,’ said Damien Lemasson, project manager at Renault Trucks. ‘This process has enabled us to reduce the weight of a 4-cylinder engine by 120 kg or 25%. The tests we have carried out prove the durability of engine components made using 3D printing.’
The number of components in the DTI 5 engine has been reduced by 25%, making a total of 200 fewer parts.
Following on from initial tests, Renault Trucks says that it will continue to develop manufacturing process to increase the performance and functionality of truck components.
This story is reprinted from material from Renault, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
