Freudenberg Technology Helps Drive the 2013 "Engine of the Year" Winner

STUTTGART, Germany and WEINHEIM, Germany, June 18, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Co.'s 999cc, three-cylinder turbo engine has been recognized by global automotive journalists as the "International Engine of the Year" at the Engine Expo in Stuttgart, Germany and receipt of this coveted award is great news for both the automaker and Freudenberg Sealing Technologies, which supplies essential O-Rings and valve-stem seals to the engine.

Ford's one-liter Eco-Boost engine has, in fact, won a number of awards in recent years. The engine's powerful output of 125 horsepower can easily take on larger four-cylinder engines. With fuel economy of 47 miles per gallon, the Eco-Boost is also economical and environmentally friendly. The three-cylinder turbocharged engine is used in the Ford Focus, Fiesta, B-Max, C-Max and Grand C-Max vehicles.

Freudenberg Sealing Technologies new generation of valve-stem seals are playing an essential role in helping the engine perform. The seals are equipped with a special gas lip which, in addition to the metering and bumper lips, helps to direct exhaust and residue away from the metering lip for improved long-term durability and system protection.

Freudenberg also supplies seals to this year's winner of the small Engine of the Year award, the 1.4 liter TSI engine from Volkswagen. The Volkswagen powertrain was honored in the 1.0-to 1.4 liter engine displacement category for the seventh time in a row. Freudenberg supplies radial shaft seals, O-Rings, valve-stem seals with the gas lip and a rear oil seal retainer that incorporates a crankshaft position sensor. The system is, in fact, a company showpiece. On the one hand, it seals the crankshaft towards the gearbox. On the other hand, it provides precise data to the engine management system about the exact position and rotation speed of the crankshaft. Thus, the injection and combustion process can be optimally controlled – reducing consumption and emissions. The system is one of many Low-Emission Sealing Solutions (LESS) which Freudenberg Sealing Technologies uses to help reduce CO₂ emissions from vehicles.

Freudenberg's technology also contributed to the success of the engine that won top honors in the Green Engine category. Fiat's 0.9L two-cylinder turbo bi-fuel engine, which can run on CNG and gasoline, contains radial shaft seals, crankshaft, valve-stem seals and O-Rings manufactured by the technology specialist based in Weinheim, Germany.

About Freudenberg Sealing Technologies

The technology specialist Freudenberg Sealing Technologies is a supplier, development and service partner for customers from a variety of market segments, such as the automotive industry, civil aviation, mechanical engineering and shipbuilding, food processing and pharmaceuticals, or the agricultural and construction machinery industry. On the basis of the Simmerring® developed by Freudenberg in 1929, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies now has a broad and continuously customer-oriented product portfolio of seals. Based on detailed process knowledge, innovative development methods and selected materials, the range includes both customized individual solutions as well as complete seal packages.

Together with its partners NOK Corporation, Japan, Sigma Freudenberg NOK, India, and NOK-Freudenberg Group China, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies forms a global network which aims to supply its customers all over the world with products of the same high quality.

In fiscal 2012, the largest business group of Freudenberg generated sales of more than 1.68 billion euros and had a workforce of about 12,000 employees.

The company is part of the Freudenberg Group whose business areas Nonwovens, Seals and Vibration Control Technology, Household Products and Specialties and Others generated sales of more than 6.3 billion euros in 2012 with a workforce of 37,453 in 57 countries.

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SOURCE Freudenberg Sealing Technologies