The demand for vehicles with improved NVH characteristics, fuel economy and emissions control has increased dramatically in recent years.
To meet these objectives stiffer and lighter housings are required so as to avoid troublesome driveline vibrations, while at the same time produce lighter structures to reduce the overall vehicle weight and improved fuel economy.
A feasibility study was undertaken to examine the differences between the use of magnesium alloy and aluminium alloy for an automatic transmission converter housing.
The design process, design constraints, design methodology, alloy selection and some unique magnesium design requirements are outlined. The differences between the two designs are investigated by simulating their static and dynamic performances using Finite Element Analysis (FEA).
A sand cast prototype was produced for the first stage of the feasibility study, with the ultimate aim to produce die cast magnesium converter housings if feasible.
The outcomes and conclusions for this comparative study are presented, and demonstrate that magnesium alloy is a viable alternative to aluminium alloy for this particular application at this stage of the study.