Asian Spectator

.
Business Advice

.

Toyota Awarded the 66th Okochi Memorial Production Prize for the Development of an Aluminum Casting Technology

  • Written by ACN Newswire - Press Releases
Toyota City, Japan, Apr 3, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced that it has jointly developed(1) an innovative aluminum casting technology that improves the plant environment and product functionality, for which it has received the Okochi Memorial Production Prize in the 66th (2019) Okochi Memorial Prize awards. Presented by the Okochi Memorial Foundation, the Okochi Memorial Prize acknowledges remarkable achievements related to research and development, and the application of production engineering, production technology, and production systems annually. This marks the first time in three years that Toyota has been awarded the well-established, prestigious Okochi Memorial Prize. It is also the 12th Okochi Memorial Prize*2 overall for Toyota.

image

Group Photo

Toyota Awarded the 66th Okochi Memorial Production Prize for the Development of an Aluminum Casting Technology

Toyota Awarded the 66th Okochi Memorial Production Prize for the Development of an Aluminum Casting Technology

Toyota Awarded the 66th Okochi Memorial Production Prize for the Development of an Aluminum Casting Technology

Toyota is implementing initiatives to achieve the "Plant Zero CO2 Emissions Challenge," which is one of the targets in the Toyota Environmental Challenge 2050, announced in 2015. As the electrification of vehicles proceeds, engines will also have to evolve, such as through the use of technologies to achieve high thermal efficiency. For these two reasons, Toyota developed the aluminum casting technology that received this prize.

Toyota received this prize for a world-first aluminum casting technology for cylinder heads*3, which affect engine performance. The cooling water channels of a cylinder head are normally formed using molds made from sand and adhesive, known as a core. The technology commonly used to make cores at present employs an organic material called phenolic resin as the adhesive. However, the casting process produces strong odors and smoke, giving rise to the issue of large deodorization equipment required to deal with the odorous gas by-products.

Manufacturing cylinder head

On the other hand, increased cooling capacity of the cylinder head is necessary for improving engine performance, and this requires thinner and more complex cooling water channels. Also, using inorganic material as the adhesive is an effective way of eliminating smoke and odor, but there was previously no method of manufacturing cores that would allow for complicated shapes and reuse of sand.

Structure of cylinder head cooling water channels

The aluminum casting technology developed by Toyota uses the inorganic material, water glass, which does not cause odors or smoke. Moreover, this world-first technology enables complex shapes to be created and the sand to be reused. Using water glass, which is not subject to thermal degradation, to adhesive the sand has succeeded in reducing odor concentrations during the casting process to 1/100th or less, thereby reducing the investment required in deodorization equipment. Also, the action of surfactants creates a mousse-like consistency that improves the flowability of the sand, which enables the creation of thin and complex cooling water channels in the cylinder head. This is contributing significantly to mass production of new model engines with thermal efficiency of 41 percent. The temperature at which the sand is processed was also reduced, with the effect of more than halving the CO2 emissions of traditional methods.

Comparison of sand flowability

Cylinder heads made using this technology are currently in use all around the world. Going forward, Toyota will extend this technology both internally and to other companies as well, and will take on new challenges to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society through efforts to bring about positive effects to the earth and society.

(1) Jointly developed with SINTOKOGIO, Ltd.(2) Including the Okochi Memorial Grand Production Prize, Okochi Memorial Production Prize, Okochi Memorial Technology Prize(3) Together with the cylinder block, the cylinder head is one of the parts that form the body of the engine. It is an important part that affects engine performance.

About Toyota Motor Corporation

Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is the global mobility company that introduced the Prius hybrid-electric car in 1997 and the first mass-produced fuel cell sedan, Mirai, in 2014. Headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, Toyota has been making cars since 1937. Today, Toyota proudly employs 370,000 employees in communities around the world. Together, they build around 10 million vehicles per year in 29 countries, from mainstream cars and premium vehicles to mini-vehicles and commercial trucks, and sell them in more than 170 countries under the brands Toyota, Lexus, Daihatsu and Hino. For more information, please visit www.toyota-global.com.

Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire. All rights reserved. www.jcnnewswire.com

Authors: ACN Newswire - Press Releases

Read more //?#

Magazine

Disparitas pemidanaan: mengapa pelaku kekerasan seksual bisa mendapat hukuman berbeda-beda untuk kasus serupa?

Ilustrasi korban kekerasan seksual.Tinnakorn jorruang/ShutterstockPraktik hukum di Indonesia masih menunjukkan adanya disparitas pemidanaan, yakni ketika ada dua orang atau lebih melakukan tindak pida...

8 aspek penting untuk memastikan keberlanjutan industri nikel dari hulu ke hilir

Isu mengenai hilirisasi nikel Indonesia tengah panas beberapa tahun ke belakang. Ambisi Presiden Joko Widodo untuk menjadikan Indonesia sentra produksi baterai kendaraan listrik (EV) dunia membuat akt...

Gangguan dismorfik tubuh: apa yang perlu kita ketahui tentang kondisi kesehatan mental ini

Selebritas Megan Fox dalam sebuah wawancara dengan Sports Illustrated mengungkapkan bahwa dia memiliki dismorfik tubuh (body dysmorphia). Fox mengatakan: “Saya tidak pernah melihat diri saya sep...



NewsServices.com

Content & Technology Connecting Global Audiences

More Information - Less Opinion