Jan
3
Chrysler mulls usage of ceramics
Filed Under Chrysler News
Chrysler also is considering aluminum foring and extrusion alloys for applications in driveshafts and tube yoke assemblieS, engine brackets and suspension components, primarily as replacements for steel. Engine intake manifolds and cylinder head covers made of magnesium also are being studied.
Dr. Subi Dinda, manager of advanced materials feasibility for the Detroit-based automaker, revealed the reviews at a technical session of the Society of Automotive Engineers’ 1985 Passenger Car Meeting. In his talk, Dinda also said metal matrix composite materials are being developed to reduce the weight of reciprocating parts in gas engines, and Chrysler is very interested in these.
Potential metal matrix composite applications, he said, include connecting rods and piston crowns, where “second-order engine vibrations can be reduced, and costly balancing devices could be eliminated.”
