Cast iron – a modern material for engine blocks
The casting market is on the move, in-line and V-engines for passenger cars are in a transforming process back to cast – iron materials. The main reasons are demands for improved engine technology in order to reduce fuel consumption and the high-ranking importance of increased efficiency.

Demands for material characteristics	GJL	GJV	GJS	Al-alloys
Material characteristics
Low specific weight
High static / dynamic strength
High Youngs modulus
High surface pressure (compression strength)
High creep resistance
Corrosion resistance
Machinability
Recycability
Low thermal expansion
Castability
Thin walls
No porosity
Engine thermal economy
High heat conductivity
Acoustics
NVH
good damping behaviour
Tribology
Wear resistance				/
suitable as cylinder liner (good running characteristics)
Cost
Low cost and high availability

Our range of cast iron materials
offer a wide range of application possibilities and fulfil the targets of the engine designers. Prior to and in order to facilitate the design process itself we analyse the component as a whole; so we play a decisive role in the success of cast iron cylinder blocks with the best material characteristic combinations.
The overall design of a driving component considers interdependences of the single component parts from the very scratch of a developing and design process in the sense of a "system analysis". To design the component it makes sense to be familiar with the testing characteristics as a target figure when the component is installed. Furthermore cast iron materials do have potential for power-up (more power) if further utilized.

We have been developing and interlinking cast iron materials and our production processes simultaneously bearing in mind highly reliable high volume series production at low cost.

We have been facing the challenge of cast iron materials in automotive light weight design. Our developments give evidence that lamellar graphite iron and cast iron with vermicular graphite (CGI) are iron materials which are best suited for light weight / thin wall design. The chart shows the parameters of the groups of materials GJL, GJV and GJS in a scale.
Cast iron materials are our response to challenges our customers face as they reflect the innovative leap with respect to weight, light-weight construction, better damping behaviour, wear resistance, highest strength values even when temperatures increase.

Vermicular graphite iron (GJV) in volume production
GJV is the best material designed for the AudiV6 3.0 L TDI-Engine. GJV-material is best suited for high loaded engines due to excellent combination of material characteristics. Eisenwerk Brühl (EB) has been nominated supplier of the engine block. The excellent casting quality of the Audi V6 cylinder block is based on our technology development, our excellent know-how which has developed by many years of product experience and the facility and production competence for volume production. EB has been successful in transferring CGI into volume production.