US: Dana supplies Mercedes S400 hybrid

Dana has announced it is supplying its Victor Reinz sealing products and thermal-acoustical protective shielding (TAPS) for the 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid, which is now available in the US.

The S400's 3.5-litre V6 engine is sealed with Dana's multi-layer steel cylinder-head gasket, which incorporates the supplier's patented Wave-Stopper sealing technology. The gasket, composed of annealed steel, is designed to maintain high-pressure seals at extreme temperatures - up to 200 degrees Celsius.

To help protect the power electronics system, the new Mercedes-Benz model is also equipped with Dana's thermal-acoustical protective shielding, designed to guard from extreme heat generated during engine operation. The lightweight, triple-layered design of the TAPS is composed of thin metal sections, resulting in nearly 40% mass reduction and significantly higher durability over conventional double-layer shields. Additionally, the compact design of the TAPS provides greater space savings within the S400's engine architecture. Dana is also supplying intake manifold gaskets and exhaust manifold gaskets on the hybrid engine.

Dana developed and is manufacturing these technologies at its facility in Neu-Ulm, Germany.

Says Dana chief technical officer George Constand: "Dana's contributions to the S400 Hybrid demonstrate our ability to successfully adapt our core technologies to emerging industry segments such as the hybrid/electric vehicle market."

Dana also supplies a cylinder-head gasket featuring Wave-Stopper technology on the four-cylinder E250 CDI BlueEfficiency diesel engine for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Combined with the E250's advanced technology, Dana asserts that the three-layer gasket reduces fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions - and costs less than conventional head gaskets.