Lighter Cars with Plastic Engine Parts

Apr-04-15 Researchers have created a plastic engine cylinder block that could replace the metal versions and reduce the vehicle's weight by about 20 percent.

Created by a team from Fraunhofer, the new plastic cylinder block is made of a fiber-reinforced plastic that can be formed by injection molding—two distinct advantages that make the material much more feasible for use than earlier versions. In tests, the engine has proven to perform as well as conventionally built engines, and even runs more quietly and with less heat than its metal counterparts.

The team next plans to build a plastics-based, multi-cylinder engine, complete with crankshaft bearings.

More Info about this Invention:

[GIZMAG.COM]
[FRAUNHOFER.DE]

---