Jaguar Land Rover collaborate with Grainger & Worrall to advance fuel efficiency

Grainger & Worrall has developed an aluminium cylinder block to produce light-weight engines using plasma spray

Jaguar Land Rover and the Advanced Propulsion Centre are working in conjunction with high performance casting specialist Grainger & Worrall (GW) to develop a new type of cylinder block that uses plasma coatings to reduce the weight and size of engines.

Identified by the Automotive Council as a key strategic aim for UK vehicle manufacturers, downsizing and light-weighting are two challenges that are being addressed by the ALIVE6 group, a research project launched to maximise fuel efficiency. The group also comprises of Bosch UK, UPA and Automotive Insulations.

As part of the project, GW has developed the manufacturing process of an all-aluminium cylinder block onto which a low-friction, plasma metal coating can be sprayed. This removes the requirement of cylinder liners, which are replaced with the application of a plasma coating directly onto the parent cylinder bores.

Edward Grainger, managing director at GW, said: “Developing and manufacturing a cylinder block casting suitable for the plasma technology has required us to fundamentally re-assess the metallurgical properties of castings. This has involved us exploring elements such as the structural strength of the cylinders, as well as the porosity and adhesive properties of the alloys to deliver a successful project outcome.

“ALIVE6 has been an enabler to us in understanding how to design, develop and manufacture castings for the plasma spray process. Our involvement has created know-how and developed a supply chain to deliver cylinder castings suitable for this exciting new technology.

“This project provided us with a significant leap forward in our understanding of new casting methodologies, creating potential for us to apply such knowledge to other projects.”

GW is based in Shropshire and employs more than 550 people, with an annual turnover of more than £50 million and exporting more than 50% of its products overseas.