Aston Martin has confirmed Grainger & Worrall (GW) as its preferred engine castings partner for the new DB11 - which has at its heart a new 5.2 litre twin turbocharged V12.
The engine sets high performance standards for the latest DB model, which is the cleanest, most fuel efficient, powerful and fastest accelerating car in Aston Martin’s history.
Using skills and technology pioneered by GW in its work with F1 teams and other high performance marques, GW has worked closely with Aston Martin’s engineering design team to enable the evolution of a lighter, more powerful power plant.
The engine blocks and heads are produced in a dedicated production environment at GW’s UK facility. Exploiting the potential of the casting facility’s precision sand casting process all castings are manufactured from a high grade, high integrity and recyclable aluminium alloy.
Edward Grainger, managing director of prototypes at GW, said: “GW’s precision sand casting process, developed specifically for the engine’s manufacture, delivers accurate, high integrity parts with increased design freedom. Utilising the latest real time x-ray and CT scanning capabilities in parallel ensures exacting and reliable quality in the development process.”
Assembled at Aston Martin’s engine plant in Cologne, Germany, the new twin turbo, 48 valve, V12 unit is able to meet stringent emission and fuel consumption requirements, whilst producing increased performance. As part of the extensive engine development process, GW created intricate sand cores and structures using the latest 3D sand printing technology. This supported the complex CAD outputs of the design team, which was responsible for the production and validation of the development parts prior to production. In addition to the ongoing supply of engine castings, GW provides rigorous in-process inspection together with unique part identity, ensuring full product traceability.
Source: www.engineeringcapacity.com