Air Management

Less is more. In engine design this is especially true of the intake manifold assembly which, alongside the actual engine block, ranks among the biggest individual parts of the engine.

Consequently, lightweight design and lightweight materials are absolutely essential and a prime reason for Pierburg to opt for magnesium and aluminum as intake manifold materials on large engines.

The merits of metal: thin walls yet high strength; mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance to exhaust gases; plus the possibility of complex packaging solutions together with a host of integrated solutions. Pierburg supplies complex intake manifold systems closely matching customer-specific requirements with variable-length options and tumble or swirl features.

Integrated components of such systems nowadays are exhaust gas recirculation subsystems comprising EGR valves, EGR coolers, bypass systems and the related electric or electropneumatic actuators. For the customer, this integration of mutually matching individual components spells reduced assembly and application input.

Component integration of this kind is set to gain in significance since, because of the stricter emission standards, both diesel and turbocharged (lean-mixture) gasoline engines will be inconceivable without EGR cooling. Pierburg’s response comes in the form of a newly developed die-cast aluminum cooler that, versus the stainless steel variety used hitherto, represents a low-cost and weight-saving alternative while exploiting the superior thermal conductivity of aluminum as a basic material.