Maserati, V6 Nettuno was born like this

New, but with a long history of back – the supercar Maserati MC20 (Which we talk about at length World Health OrganizationThe model that brings the Italian company back into the supercar sector, and it does so by restoring production to the historic factories in Modena (Maserati has been here since the late 1930s). On Ciro Menotti way, the innovative 3.0 V6 biturbo engine is called NettunoExclusively from manufacturer Emilian, it boasts a patented combustion system and will form the basis for the engines of the upcoming Trident home models: the new Grecale SUV and GranTurismo and GranCabrio. This comes after two decades in which Maserati gasoline engines were produced by Ferrari. The new sector in which the life six cylinders appear is called the Engine Lab: Thanks to Director Jonata Azzali and Matteo Valentini, Head of Design, we were able to make a visit (albeit virtual), to understand the many concerns needed to ensure performance and reliability.

Injector and two combustion plugs for each cylinder Recall that 90 degrees V6 is 3.0 With typical characteristics of sports engines: both sides of the cylinder are supported by turbochargers and the lubrication is dry sump, without oil sump: this ensures perfect operation even in curves facing at full speed (in conventional system the fluid is centrifuged on the walls, which leads to Traction problems) and the vehicle’s center of gravity is lowered to take advantage of driving dynamics. But it is also the first gasoline engine approved for road use to exploit a specific technology, previously developed for Formula 1. The patented system called Double combustion from Maserati, Contains two injectors for each cylinder: one spray directly into the cylinder (direct injection) and the other into the intake channel (indirect). But the real advantage is that the mixture of air and gasoline is ignited by a candle placed inside a primary chamber (a small additional volume is connected to the combustion chamber by thin channels); Then another candle, sideways, completes the combustion. This system, which is managed by advanced electronic devices, allows fuel to burn more quickly, achieving 210 hp / liter (630 total) even with relatively low fuel consumption and emissions.

Specialize in opera The new engine plant was born in the same area as it was in the past Maserati engines It can be likened to a real laboratory: the inside is kept at a pressure slightly higher than the pressure of the outside environment, to prevent the entry of even the smallest dust particles. This “aggressive” cleaning is combined with manual assembly, but it uses technology to ensure the accuracy of the process: essential to obtain reliability and horsepower from this refined engine. The assembly is carried out by a small number of people, who work in six successive work stations, following the instructions indicated on the screens step by step; It takes a total of 24 hours to complete the V6 Neptune Engine, and each worker spends four hours on their assignment. So far, he has four to six motors out per day, but with access to ten motors.

Continuous monitoring – Action is responsible but there are tools to avoid any kind of error. For example, the assembly of seals between the cylinder liners and the crankcase (produced at Termoli) is validated by means of the camera, while the coupling of the main and connecting rod bearings and pistons is performed by means of a bar code providing only the correct size components. The head assembly is complicated, which in addition to the valves includes an elementary chamber; Finally, the combustion chambers are put under pressure, so any leakage can be detected. The tensioning torque of all bolts is monitored and recorded electronically, with special attention to the exhaust manifold: in the most severe use, these components can reach nearly 1000 ° C, with very high thermal stresses. To avoid leaks and cracks, it is used The installation procedure It must be very precise, so the camera attached to the screwdriver follows the order in which the screws are locked, to alert the operator if a sequence error occurs. Finally, the injection system is inspected at 21 different points to check for leaks (which is important, also bearing in mind that the direct injection system operates up to 350 bar); Instead of gasoline, helium (an inert gas that does not cause problems for the materials from which the engine is made) is introduced, with which possible leaks are detected by a sensor.

Try them all – Before moving to the next building, as it will be installed in one building Maserati MC20Every engine passes through the test room: it is Maserati’s pride to inspect every engine. It’s 40 minutes of testing, with power, torque and control values ​​measured in a hundred parameters. In addition, once a month, the sample engine undergoes a four-hour test, to allow for statistical analysis of the different production batches.