White Papers

How Precision Machining and Grinding Help Car Manufacturers Improve Engine Emissions, Quality and Reliability

• Tags:
• engine,
• accuracy,
• efficiency,
• reliability

Overview The California Air Resources Board recently adopted a plan to significantly reduce car and truck emissions by 2007. To comply with the plan, which calls for an overall reduction in vehicle emissions by up to 75 percent, carmakers will probably rely on two "add-on" technologies: electronic engine controls and catalytic converters.

However, a third technology -- improved machining accuracy -- has quietly contributed to gains in engine durability, reliability and efficiency over the past 20 years. Today, engine tolerances are 100 times more precise than they were in 1978. This level of consistency and accuracy has contributed to important gains in the performance of internal combustion engines: better fuel efficiency, lower emissions, increased horsepower and improved reliability "As a result, cars today are more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. Consumers also benefit from improved reliability and lower maintenance requirements. Several years ago it was not uncommon for vehicles to require an oil change every 3,000 miles and a tune-up every 15,000 miles," said Clayton A. Williams, President of the Industrial Automation Systems (IAS) group of UNOVA, Inc. (NYSE:UNA), based in Warren, Mich. UNOVA is one of the world's largest manufacturers of integrated manufacturing systems for automotive engines and transmissions. "Today, cars can go 15,000 miles between oil changes and 100,000 miles before a major tune-up."

• 
• Did you find this white paper useful?

• Subscribe to the IT White Papers Newsletter
• White Paper RSS