Volkswagen Passat '97, User Manual

Page: 83 / 122

36
Gearbox
Magnesium
Lightweight construction now plays a central
role in vehicle development, due to the tough
demands on performance, safety and fuel
economy.
Weighing roughly 34% less than aluminium,
magnesium is, as a material, well-suited to
meeting these demands.
We will show you the advantages and impacts
of magnesium using the 5-speed manual
gearbox housing 012/01W.
Density comparison
Iron:
7.873 g/cm3
Aluminium:
2.699 g/cm3
Magnesium:
1.738 g/cm3
The strength of a material depends on its
density, among other things. Low density goes
hand in hand with low strength. This loss of
strength has to be compensated for somehow. The housing is therefore ribbed more intensively
and the wall thickness has been increased. As a
result, the magnesium housing actually weighs
27% less than the aluminium housing.
Bolt insertion depth has also been increased.
Comparison of insertion depths between magnesium, aluminium and iron
SSP 192/058 SSP 192/059 SSP 192/060