A project by Renault's truck division in France shows how 3D-printed parts can improve an internal- combustion engine.
A joint team of Renault and Volvo engine designers was given an assignment to see how much weight and complexity it could eliminate from a 5.0-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel engine for medium-duty European freight trucks.
Working in Renault's Lyon r&d center, the team redesigned the DTI 5 engine using software that enabled the new parts to be 3D printed. The parts were installed and the engine punished for 600 hours on a dynamometer.
The redesigned engine, of course, could not have reduced performance, quality or durability. The DT1 5 is used in fleets of delivery trucks and if the engine breaks, the operator loses money. Downtime must be very low.
The results:
- The total number of parts needed to build the engine dropped to 600 from 850.
- The engine's fully assembled weight declined 25 percent to 892 pounds, from 1,157.
- The block and head integrate 125 separate parts that otherwise would have been purchased from suppliers or made in-house and then attached with fasteners. The new block and head reduced manufacturing complexity, further lowering production costs.
