Lightweight Plastic Engine Oil Pump

This paper discusses the engineering design and development of a plastic automotive engine oil pump as an alternative to current metal oil pumps. Detailed component design features to ensure the working of the plastic pump under harsh chemical, temperature and vibration environment are discussed. The proposed design integrates several parts and uses unique plastic design elements to improve upon current metal design. Innovative joining methods and assembly sequencing are implemented to maintain pump efficiency and functional precision. Use of self-lubricating plastics to increase engine efficiency by reducing wear between moving parts is explored. Data and findings from extensive structural and processing simulations, as well as high temperature and long-term material tests, carried out during the design phase to ensure structural integrity and manufacturability are included. The proposed plastic oil pump design is found to significantly reduce weight, cost and part count while maintaining equivalent structural integrity at high operating temperatures.