Engineering:Flexplate
A flexplate or flex plate is a metal disk that connects the output from an engine to the input of a torque converter in a car equipped with an automatic transmission.[1] It takes the place of the flywheel found in a conventional manual transmission setup.
Design
The name refers to the ability of the disk to flex along its main axis to account for gear changes and/or small misalignments as rotational speeds change.[2] Flexplates are generally much thinner and lighter than flywheels not only because of the required flexibility, but also due to the smoother coupling action of the torque converter[3] and the elimination of the clutch surface.[4]
Like a flywheel, a flexplate normally handles coupling to the starter motor via gear teeth cut along its outer edge. These teeth give the flexplate a gear-like appearance in spite of this being a secondary function.
Construction
Flexplates come in many forms, but are usually either stamped steel (for road cars), a machined two-piece billet (for race cars), or a machined one-piece billet (for high-performance drag racers).[5]
See also
- Flywheel
References
- ↑ Zhang, Da Ke; Wang, Chong; Yang, Yi Chao; He, Han (January 2013). "The Layout Optimization for Axial Stiffness of a Flexplate Disk with Weight and Inertial Moment Constraints". ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272001167.
- ↑ "Flex plate – What Does It Do?" (in en-US). 2022-09-26. https://www.gmride.com.my/blog/flex-plate-what-does-it-do/.
- ↑ (in en) South African Automotive Light Vehicle Level 4. Jones & Bartlett Learning. 2013-06-15. ISBN 978-1-4496-9788-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=Lc54AAAAQBAJ&pg=PA62.
- ↑ "How an Engine Flex Plate Works" (in en). https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-flexplates-work.
- ↑ Patterson, Jeremy (2015-11-23). "Flexplate Technology And Choosing The Flexplate For You" (in en-US). https://www.dragzine.com/tech-stories/drivetrain/bulletproof-flexplates-and-choosing-the-flexplate-for-you/.
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