All plastic oil filter

All-plastic oil filter
All-plastic oil filter modules are increasingly used for passenger cars. The high number of MAHLE series production applications for our customers confirm this trend. In addition to weight and cost savings, advantages include increased functionality as well as greater design freedom. As a result, the plastic solution is increasingly becoming a true alternative to the existing aluminum die casting solutions.

The greatest challenge in the design of all-plastic modules is to mitigate the negative properties of the plastic material (lower strength than aluminum, creeping properties) through targeted solutions in order to benefit from the positive properties: the lower weight and the possibility to implement more complex geometries, enabling optimal utilization of the tight installation space in engine peripherals. MAHLE design engineers are supported in this process by state-of-the-art computation and simulation methods.

Also from a manufacturing aspect, the plastic solution offers a variety of advantages. While oil modules made of metal require mechanical machining of the bores, threads, break-throughs, and flanges, the plastic injection molding process supplies a finished component. This results in improved quality due to the lower content of residual dirt. The lower number of process steps alone reduces the scrap rate. In addition, the entire molding process - from the granules to the end product - is performed inhouse at MAHLE, minimizing the associated process and logistics
efforts.

In oil filtration, a differentiation is made between oil filter modules with standard flange mounting and those with individual flange mounting. To be able to offer our customers optimized solutions for any installation space, our engineers continuously research and develop novel solutions. Our new oil pan modules and spin-on oil filter modules are two additional innovative products that MAHLE has developed. Oil pan modules represent a very customer-specific solution that integrates functions such as the filtration and cooling of the oil in the oil pan. Spin-on filter modules unite the advantages of a spin-on filter with those of oil filter modules. Benefits of value to the customer are the compact size, simple design, inexpensive and robust construction, and high efficiency.

Successful series products
The latest oil filter family for passenger car diesel engines in V-design is a prime example of the module and systems competence of MAHLE. The different modules of the oil filter family are provided with similar interfaces while featuring different equipment standards. This integrates numerous functions in one module and, at the same time, is designed with alternative materials for weight and cost optimization. The integrated functions include:

• Filtration and cooling of the engine oil as well as oil supply for the turbocharger with filtered oil
• Oil mist separation in tri-cyclone design with integrated crankcase ventilation and pressure regulation
• Oil pressure switching and cooling water sensors
• Water connections for the exhaust gas recirculation cooler
• Crankcase shut-off for in-engine media supply for oil, water, and blow-by gases
• Component carrier, e.g., for air conditioner compressor and fuel cooler
• Heat exchanger bypass valve

The actual oil filter consists of a plastic housing, a plastic cover, and a filter bypass valve with integrated clipping for the oil filter element. The filter element is secured in the cover so that it remains in it during servicing. A simple oil draining system minimizes the run-out of used oil when changing the filter. The filter element consists of fully incinerable plastic end disks and a long-life filter paper, which enables a service interval of 30,000 km. The new all-plastic housing design itself is suitable for increased requirements such as oil temperatures up to 150° C and oil pressures up to 16 bar. Characteristic for this type of modules is also the use of identical components, such as the oil filter tube or the cyclone unit for blow-by separation.