Development of an Aluminum Die Cast Piston for High-Performance Motorcycle Engines

The automobile industry presently focuses on improving fuel economy and reducing the weight of vehicles. One part of these efforts is to develop high-performance engines for improved combustion efficiency and lower emissions. Against this background, many high-performance motorcycle engines use forged pistons made of extruded or continuously cast aluminum alloy for high reliability and material properties. The cost of forged pistons is higher than that of gravity die cast pistons. To replace these expensive forged pistons, a low-cost, high-performance piston with increased endurance and thermal resistance has been developed using a newly developed aluminum alloy and a high-quality die casting technology using an oxygen supply system and additional pressure.