Metaldyne uses MIM to produce piston cooling jets
September 1, 2014
Metaldyne Inc. of Plymouth, Michigan, USA, a leading producer of structural PM parts and Powder Forged connecting rods, has turned to Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) to produce complex net shaped piston cooling jets at reduced manufacturing cost compared to machining. The MIM jets are said to offer an ideal solution to piston lubrication and cooling in automotive engines.
Piston cooling nozzles for automotive engines produced by MIM (Photo Metaldyne)
The MIM piston cooling jets spray oil in targeted areas on engine pistons to reduce their temperature and Metaldyne’s patented design effectively directs and controls oil flow into the areas that need it most. The company is said to use a proprietary alloy composition for the MIM feedstock which after sintering offers a density of 7.5 g/cm³. Ultimate tensile strength of 250 MPa and yield strength of 150 MPa are reported.
Design features include a ball style flow control check valve offering maximum flow efficiency at an equivalent pressure to a piston style valve and a delayed valve opening at low pressure for reduced leakage and maintained oil pressure at idle conditions. The patented net-shape internal oil flow channel increases efficiency and oil stream precision for hitting tighter target requirements, and a patent-pending check valve seat geometry reduces noise from opening and closing pressure.
