EU News: Nifco Teams up with DuPont for New Lightweight Jaguar Project
Nifco UK managing director Mike Matthews showcases the project
Specialist car parts manufacturer Nifco UK has released details of a cutting-edge new product, designed as part of the lightweight Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Alive6 Project with government funding from the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
The North-East based firm has shared details of its innovative new oil pan that it claims is stronger and lighter than any of its steel counterparts. The thermoplastic composite part weighs 1kg less than a steel equivalent, and has been engineered with continuous glass fibres that are longer than those used in normal reinforced plastics, to deliver optimum performance while remaining lightweight.
Nifco UK managing director Mike Matthews, said: “Metal was once considered to be the only material resilient and heat resistant enough to withstand the loads within a car engine, but with new technology comes the opportunity to create ever-more effective and efficient products.
The JLR Alive6 project was launched last year, to create a prototype engine incorporating new technologies.
Nifco has teamed up with plastics supplier DuPont to create the new part, and it hopes to see it mass produced over the next few years.
