A pilot installation in Ludwigsburg, Germany will start producing ceramic diesel particulate filters at the end of 2009, manufacturing around 60 000 filters per year, with large-scale production planned for 2012.
The new Mann+Hummel filter contains aluminium titanate, an aluminium and titanium ceramic oxide compound, instead of the currently used cordierite and silicon carbide. Mann+Hummel says that aluminium titanate has a higher temperature resistance than cordierite and does not expand as significantly as silicon carbide, making it possible to produce a temperature-resistant one-piece filter.
Mann+Hummel is also employing a novel concept to produce its own diesel particulate filter. During production, Mann+Hummel will use CCP (Ceramic Coated Paper) technology, where the paper carrier medium is immersed in a ceramic suspension which completely surrounds the paper fibres. The finished diesel particulate filter is produced after cauterising the paper and sintering the ceramic particles. As a ceramic adhesive is inserted between the layers of paper during the coiling process, the channels are alternately closed automatically.
Mann+Hummel says that the new product will offer greater flexibility and additional opportunities, particularly for channel geometry and filter shape. The new concept should also provide greater opportunity to integrate additional functions. It should also be possible to integrate a catalytic converter into the filter body, reducing the number of components and the installation space required.
