The scope of cooperation between Mahle and Scuderia Ferrari includes the optimisation of the crank mechanism and the development of high-performance materials.
22 Mar 2016 | 6331 Views | By Autocar Pro News Desk
Mahle is expanding its cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari, the racing arm of the Italian supercar manufacturer, in Formula 1 with a long-term partnership agreement that includes the development and supply of crucial engine components.
“We consider Mahle an important partner in the ongoing development of our powertrains. We appreciate ...
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Mahle is expanding its cooperation with Scuderia Ferrari, the racing arm of the Italian supercar manufacturer, in Formula 1 with a long-term partnership agreement that includes the development and supply of crucial engine components.
“We consider Mahle an important partner in the ongoing development of our powertrains. We appreciate not only their high level of technological expertise, but also their exceptional reliability,” said James Allison, technical director at Scuderia Ferrari.
The cooperation scope includes the optimisation of the crank mechanism and the development of high-performance materials. “Our company’s commitment to motorsport has a decades-long tradition. Many developments have contributed to series vehicle engines being more powerful and at the same time more economical,” said Wolf-Henning Scheider, chairman of the Mahle Management Board and CEO.
For this project, Mahle is developing and manufacturing high-strength forged pistons and optimising aluminium alloys and protective reinforcements. Added to the list are friction-optimised piston rings and piston pins made of extremely resilient steel, as well as cylinder coatings in the engine housing that reduce friction and are resistant to wear.
“The new generation of hybridised, turbocharged V6 engines presents very specific challenges,” according to Fred Türk, vice-president of Mahle Motorsports.
The development activities for Ferrari also include innovative combustion processes. For the first time, Mahle is using a patented solution in this connection that leads to a significant increase in efficiency. The new lean burn combustion process – Mahle Jet Ignition – achieves this with a special surface ignition. Higher power output is thus generated for applications in motorsport. The company says it will also develop the process for series vehicles, as with the help of this technology efficiency levels can be achieved that are otherwise found only in diesel engines.
Motorsport as a technology driver
This example demonstrates how motorsport continues to be a technology driver. “The extreme requirements in these vehicles are the starting point for many innovative solutions that are also used in series production at a later stage,” emphasised Türk.
Commitment to motorsport has therefore been part of the overall Mahle strategy for decades. The latest example is the steel piston, which helped to claim victory last year in the Le Mans long-distance race. They are now being installed in the new 1.5- and 1.6-litre diesel engines from Renault, which meet Euro 6 emission standards.
Mahle, which has products for combustion engines and their peripherals as well as solutions for electric vehicles, is represented in over 30 countries with 170 production locations. Around 6,000 development engineers and technicians currently work on innovative solutions at 15 major development locations in Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Slovenia, the USA, Brazil, Japan, China and India.