Cars & light trucks

The automotive industry faces numerous challenges, ranging from consumer-driven price and reliability expectations to enhanced environmental and efficiency requirements. Bodycote continues to evolve and improve existing thermal processes to offer superior, more sustainable, treatments which support the long-term efforts of our customers.

Bodycote is the ideal partner to support the automotive industry’s transition to new fuel sources, including electric and hybrid vehicles with sustainable production. Our innovative thermal processing treatments enable manufacturers to design components built to tighter tolerances with a lower overall carbon emissions impact.

Brake systems

When it comes to critical systems on any vehicle, probably the most important is the braking system. Failure of any component would have serious implications and so material and processing requirements must be strictly adhered to. Brake system components can suffer deterioration from the brake hydraulic fluid, unless suitably protected. Typical treated parts include:

• Brake web
• Calliper piston
• Various stampings

The Bodycote Corr-I-Dur^® process is ideal for components requiring resistance to wear and corrosion. Other processes used in the braking system are induction hardening, nitriding and other case hardening techniques.

Chassis and suspension

The chassis, suspension and steering components need to be tough with good wear resistance and also good resistance to corrosion due to being exposed to water and other road surface fluids. In addition, as with many auto components, cost has to be minimised wherever possible for competitive reasons.

Bodycote’s cadre of heat treatment processes include special treatments which permit less expensive steels to be utilised whilst maintaining the required operational properties. Typical processes include induction hardening, ferritic nitrocarburising and continuous furnace quench and tempering. Typical treated parts include:

• Ball studs
• Torsion bars
• Arm lever
• Seating
• Pins
• Fasteners
• Stampings

Powertrain

The engine/transmission of a car is comprised of safety critical, fast moving parts which require various properties such as toughness, surface hardness for wear resistance and good fatigue strength, whilst operating in high heat and corrosive environments. Bodycote’s various heat treatment processes modify and/or enhance component material properties so these vital parts can continue to operate safely and reliably.

For example, the complex powertrain components of BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles), such as planetary ring gears that are immersed in oil, where non-corrosive sliding wear and contact fatigue are issues, benefit from the reduced wear and contact fatigue properties resulting from gas nitriding. Bodycote’s proprietary Corr-I-Dur® treatment is used for exposed chassis components, such as brake pistons, where corrosion and sliding wear are issues.

Other typical processes utilised in the treatment of powertrain components are Low Pressure Carburising, ferritic nitrocarburising, induction hardening, carbonitriding and gas carburising. Process selection depends on the type of steel, required properties, surface finish and dimensional tolerances. Typical treated parts include:

• Planetary ring gears
• Sun gears
• Bevel gears
• Shafts
• Hubs
• Support arms
• Pinions
• Gears
• Parking pawl
• Pistons
• Valves
• Retainers

Drivetrain

Drivetrain components are subjected to high operational loads and can be exposed to extreme environments. Plug in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) in particular, have complex drivetrains with numerous treatment requirements.

The manufacturer’s choice of material combined with Bodycote’s various processes ensure that every component in the drivetrain operates to design specifications. Many parts are hardened to attain the required strength, whilst others are hardened in local areas prone to wear. Additional procedures can be carried out to provide resistance to corrosion.

Low Pressure Carburising and Bodycote’s proprietary Corr-I-Dur® process are excellent options for the treatment of BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) and PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle) components. Other typical heat treatment processes used for drivetrain components are induction hardening, carburising, furnace hardening and ferritic nitrocarburising. Typical treated parts include:

• Wheel Hubs
• Differential Case
• Differential pins
• Axle shafts
• Hub annulus
• U-joints
• Pins
• Gears
• Friction plates
• Gear carriers