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LIGHTWEIGHT COMPONENTSForward thinking. Forward moving.Where transportation goes for innovationA vehicle’s weight has a direct impact on its fuel consumption and, therefore, itspollutant emissions, leading OEMs to strive to make vehicles lighter. Decreasing theweight of the components is one way to solve the overall weight concerns, which iswhy Tenneco has made the development of lightweight components a priority.Tenneco’s lightweight initiative has beenfocused on two key areas – downsizingand material substitution.Downsizing has allowed the companyto produce steel double-tube andmono-tube dampers which are ableto fulfill the requirements of a rangeof applications without a cost penalty.This effort was successfully achievedthrough the use of adapted valve systems,optimized internal components and newtube forming techniques able to guaranteestructural integrity.For strut applications, normal steel canbe substituted by high strength steelwith variable wall thickness. Formono-tube dampers there are severaldifferent options, including high strengthsteel or aluminum base assemblies.In addition plastic is used for severaladd-on and modular components,enabling weight reductions of up to30% within market defined cost targets,without sacrificing strengthor functionality.By developing adapted surfacetreatments, tube forming and newjoining processes simultaneously withthe design, generic concepts have beendeveloped which match or exceed theperformance of traditional steel dampersand resolve the technological challengessometimes linked to the use of lightmetals and plastics.