Commercial / Genreal Glossary


Technical Glossary

Actuator
Actuating element in the control circuit: element that converts signals from a control unit into mechanical work, i.e., motions—in order to open or close a flap for example.

ALBOND®
MAHLE trademark for a cylinder liner compound which, when poured in, ensures a form-fitting bond with the aluminum alloy because of its rough exterior surface.

CamInCam® camshaft
Camshaft that achieves the functionality of two adjustable camshafts in the installation space of one camshaft. The exhaust cams are connected firmly to the shaft, and the intake cams are joined to the inner camshaft by a connecting element.

Charge movement flap
Adjustable flap fitted in the intake section just in front of the intake valve. It leads to increased flow intensities in the combustion chamber, optimized mixture formation, and improved transport of the mixture to the spark plug.

Chilled cast iron
Cast iron in which the carbon remains bound to the iron atoms as iron carbide when the die-cast part is solidified, while otherwise it precipitates out of the iron structure as graphite. A casting process is used to produce a die-cast part of this kind, with a hard, wear-resistant shell as well as a core with the good machinability properties of gray cast iron.

Composite camshaft
Camshaft that consists of individual parts (main shaft, drive element, cams, and other parts), assembled by thermal shrink fit.

Compressor map
Operating map showing the correlation between the turbine speed, the ratio of the air pressures at the compressor inlet and outlet, and the air mass flow rate fed to the compressor, in order to characterize the operational behavior of the compressor side of a turbocharger.

COSCAST® process
Patented manufacturing process for casting cylinder heads and cylinder blocks. It was originally developed for motorsport, but is now also used for standard applications.

Cylinder shut-off
Selectively shutting off one or more cylinders, normally in load ranges in which full performance is not required from the engine, in order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions.

DLC coating
“Diamond-Like Carbon”: very hard carbon coating with extremely positive wear, friction, and corrosion-reducing properties.

Downsizing
The performance and torque characteristics of smaller engines are improved by increasing the mean effective pressure, allowing them to replace larger engines.

EVOTEC® piston
Lightweight piston for passenger car gasoline engines with a load-optimized rigid structure and low wall thicknesses.

Exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)
In this type of system, some of the exhaust gas is added to the intake air. This results in a reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx) during combustion, allowing compliance with emissions limits.

FERROTHERM® piston
2-piece piston developed by MAHLE, which withstands the high loads in high-performance commercial vehicle engines. The piston crown and skirt are connected by the piston pin, i.e., the guiding and sealing functions are separated, as are the heat dissipation and transmission of power.

Flex-fuel application
Application that can run on either pure gasoline or a variety of similar fuels, such as mixtures of ethanol, bioethanol, or methanol and gasoline.

FMEA
Failure mode and effects analysis: tool for identifying risks as early as possible and for systematically preventing defects.