The company says that the special thermal spray coating technology means existing engines can be remanufactured, using half the CO? emissions required to produce a new engine.
“We have taken a process that was originally developed to enhance performance models such as the all-new Ford Mustang Shelby GT 350R and used it to remanufacture engines that might otherwise be scrapped,” said Juergen Wesemann, manager of vehicle technologies and materials, Ford Research and Advanced Engineering. “It is just one example of how Ford is looking to reduce its environmental footprint through a range of innovative measures.”
The plasma transferred wire arc thermal spray process and other sustainability innovations are being researched and developed at the Ford Research and Innovation Center in Aachen, Germany.
Ford says that when modern engines fail, it is usual for them to be replaced with a new engine. The plasma technology applies a spray to the inside of the engine block that helps restore it to its original factory condition.
“Traditional engine remanufacturing techniques can be prohibitively expensive, and energy intensive, requiring iron-cast parts and intricate machining processes,” said Mark Silk, supervisor of powertrain products at Ford Customer Services Division Europe.
“The plasma transferred wire arc coating technology removes the need for additional heavy parts and the processed engine block has a new life as the base of a replacement engine.”
December 7, 2015