DETROIT, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Kolbenschmidt Pierburg's KS Bearings
division is expanding the use of its slippery Permaglide(R) friction-reducing
material to produce components that take up less space, weigh less and offer
improved performance for North American automotive products.
After succeeding in its quest to find an environmentally friendly material
to replace the lead found in many automotive lubricants, KS Bearings now uses
Permaglide(R) on components such as transmission gear-shift-lever guides, door
hinges and shock absorbers.
"This really is a break-through material that can be incorporated into
hundreds of different automotive applications," notes Mike Adrian, KS Bearings
vice president of North American sales. "Permaglide(R) offers advantages not
only in cost, but in weight and performance as well. Its use also will have a
positive environmental impact."
The patented Permaglide(R) process, developed and owned by Kolbenschmidt
Pierburg, incorporates a 1-millimeter to 1.5-millimeter sandwich of PTFE
(polytetrafluoroethylene, commonly known as Teflon(R)), zinc sulfide and
bronze bonded to a steel backing.
Components with an extremely slippery P1 Permaglide(R) surface can handle
higher loads, speeds and temperatures. P1 Permaglide(R) can be manufactured
to require no lubrication, allowing manufacturers to eliminate many lead-
containing lubricants such as the grease used on conventional front-wheel
drive shafts. Permaglide(R) components satisfy the ELV (end-of-vehicle-life)
directives already in place in Europe that require vehicles to be 85 percent
recyclable by 2006.
KS Bearings also produces a machinable version of the material, P2
Permaglide(R), for components that may require lubricants because of load,
temperature or speed. The frictional characteristics of Permaglide(R)
materials can be custom-tailored to a specific application. "If it's too
slippery -- for example, on a door hinge -- we can add more resistance to give
a better feel," Adrian says.
Permaglide(R) is finding its way into areas that previously were
considered unsuitable for this type of application -- inside an internal
combustion engine, for example. "We're currently testing Permaglide(R) on the
rocker arms and camshaft of a high-performance V-8 engine for a major
manufacturer," Adrian says. Permaglide(R) reduces parasitic friction losses
on those components, improving the overall efficiency of the engine.
"We've also have had strong customer interest in our door hinges and shock
absorbers," he says, "and we have the manufacturing capability to meet our
customers' needs for multiple shapes and sizes and any geometry."
KS Bearings engineers can redesign components to take up less space with
lower weight and improved performance. The division uses Permaglide(R) on 100
percent of the door hinges, pedal systems and windshield-wiper components it
manufactures for a major German automaker.
Typical areas of application for Permaglide(R) components include:
Auxiliary systems -- common-rail pump, brake and fuel systems, engine belt
tensioners and starters.
Powertrains -- contoured switching guides and dual-mass flywheels.
Suspension components -- shock absorbers, struts, steering systems and
brake systems.
Chassis -- hinges on doors, hoods, trunks and tailgates, windshield
wipers, body systems, seat adjustment gear, safety belt pretensioners and
pedal systems.
Permaglide(R) also is used in many non-automotive commercial and
industrial applications. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG owns worldwide rights to
the material, and the company markets the process to non-automotive customers
through a license with INA-Schaeffler KG of Germany.
KS Bearings, a key manufacturer of engine bearings, journal bearings,
bushings, flanged bushings and thrust washers for the global auto industry, is
a division of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, a leading supplier of bearings, pistons,
automotive oil and water pumps, throttle bodies, secondary air systems and
exhaust flaps, as well as electric exhaust-gas-recirculation systems and
aluminum engine blocks. Kolbenschmidt Pierburg has North American production
plants in Fountain Inn, S.C.; Greensburg, Ind.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Marinette,
Wis., and Leamington, Ontario, and a North American sales office in
Southfield, Mich.
Kolbenschmidt Pierburg AG is a subsidiary of Rheinmetall AG. The company
has approximately 11,400 employees at its five automotive divisions. Global
sales for its Aluminum Technology, Pierburg, KS Pistons, KS Plain Bearings and
Motor Service divisions totaled nearly $2.4 billion in 2004. Additional
information is available on the Internet at
http://www.usa.kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com .
SOURCE Kolbenschmidt Pierburg
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Related links:
http://www.usa.kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com
CONTACT:
Company Contact - North America, Paul
Klapproth of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, Phone: +1-248-327-9034,
E-Mail: paul.klapproth@pierburginc.com , Company Contact -
Worldwide, Folke Heyer of Kolbenschmidt Pierburg, Phone:
+011.49.2131.520.3011, E-Mail:
Folke.Heyer@kolbenschmidt-pierburg.com ; or Media Contact: Chip
Drake of AutoCom Associates, Phone: +1-248-647-8621, E-Mail:
cdrake@usautocom.com
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