Cylinder head sealing technologies

The cylinder head gasket plays a key role in the further development of engine technology, particularly in high-performance diesel and gasoline engines with direct injection—the technologies of the future.

Besides sealing off the combustion chamber, the coolant areas, and the oil passages, the cylinder head gasket is taking on increasingly important tasks in modern engines. It serves as a load transmission element between the cylinder head and crankcase, and has a significant influence on the distribution of forces within the entire tension system and the resulting elastic deformations of the components.

Growing demands to reduce consumption and emissions lead to weight-optimized engine designs and, particularly for diesel engines, to higher ignition pressures. The use of light metals and reduced casting wall thicknesses entail a further reduction in component stiffness. In order to further reduce cylinder distortions, which are detrimental to exhaust gas behavior, a reduction in bolt forces is targeted.

These measures result in significantly higher stresses on the cylinder head gasket, in the form of dynamic sealing gap oscillations. The combustion chamber seal must be able to ensure the required minimum sealing force on a sustained basis, under all operating conditions. This places very high demands on the durability of the sealing system.

ElringKlinger has individually matched its products to these complex technical requirements. Since the mid-nineties, only Metaloflex^® metal layer and metal-elastomer cylinder head gaskets have been used in new engine designs. The metal-soft-material cylinder head gasket is used only for repairs and restoration of old engines.

For every engine concept, however, we provide the right sealing system. This includes engineering services that efficiently accelerate development—from an idea, all the way to series production.