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Application of Sintered Steel for Synchronizer Rings Used in Mechanical

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Article  in  Materials Science Forum · August 2012

DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.727-728.349

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Materials Science Forum Vols. 727-728 (2012) pp 349-355
Online available since 2012/Aug/24 at www.scientific.net
© (2012) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.727-728.349

Application of Sintered Steel for Synchronizer Rings used in Mechanical

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Andrade, T.F1,a; Zambon, A.C.1,b; Sena, C.H.C.1,c; Bida, A.G.1,d; Kavai, J.R.2,e
1
Engineering Center of Excellence, Vehicle Group – Eaton Corporation. P.O. Box 304, Valinhos –
Brazil
2
Engineering Department, GKN Sinter Metals – P.O. Box 25, Hortolandia – Brazil
a
thiagofandrade@eaton.com, b antonioczambon@eaton.com, c carloshsena@eaton.com, d
andregbida@eaton.com
e
jose.kavai@gknsintermetals.com

Keywords: Synchronizer ring, sinter-hardening, brass, Weibull distribution, mechanical

transmission, plastic deformation.

Abstract
Synchronizer rings are mechanical components that equalize the gear rotation to be engaged with
the sliding sleeve. It is done by the friction property of the synchronizer ring material. Different
types of materials are used to manufacture synchronizer rings depending on the application. There
are basically two groups of material: dual function, structural and friction properties (Cu-Zn alloys,
Al-Si alloys, etc.) and single function, only structural property (rolled and sintered steels, Cu-Zn
alloys, Al alloys, etc.). The objective of this work was to propose a solution to the synchronizer ring
structural material of a new mechanical transmission design. This component was initially designed
with a Cu-Zn alloy and showed premature failure on synchronizer teeth during tests. To eliminate
this problem several technical alternatives were analyzed considering the best cost and benefits
ratio, defining to use the sintered steel FLC-4908 per MPIF Standard 35.

Introduction
Manual transmissions are used in passenger car, pick-up, truck, bus and minibus with the purpose of
assuring, according to driver's command, the best engine working point for different vehicle load
requirements and road conditions. The driver decides how the vehicle will behave through the gear
changes, which modifies the gear ratios inside the transmission. So, the torque multiplier factor
and the engine rotation transferred to the wheels are properly adapted for a good driveability.
The earliest automotive transmissions required from the driver the ability to shifting at the correct
time [1], otherwise the driver faced a gear clashing or even a shift blocking. In order to improve the
shiftabilty, in 1934 started to be produced the first automotive transmission with all forward gears
synchronized by means of conical synchronizers [2].
Early in the development of synchronized transmissions, a series of devices, layouts and
configurations were created in order to offer gear changes free of clashing [3], however, over years,
the concept that prevailed was constituted by a conical synchronizer ring able to block the
conclusion of a shift while the equalization of rotation parts is not achieved.
Along the vehicle life, thousands or even millions of gear changes are made. In each shifting the
synchronizer rings are requested to accelerate or to slow down the gears through their conical
friction interfaces. In order to have a satisfactory synchronization performance, the friction
coefficient in those interfaces should be high; on the other hand, the wear in those friction surfaces
should be the minimum in order to assure the durability of synchronization system along vehicle
lifetime [4]. Also, the synchronizer ring teeth (dog teeth) should provide enough durability and
strength throughout the transmission lifetime.
Aiming to design an efficient and robust synchronization system, the engineers and designers need
to know well the applied loads and environmental conditions on the synchronizers, as well as what
materials and metallurgical properties are able to withstanding the different shifting and usage
conditions.

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350 Advanced Powder Technology VIII

The choice of the best material for synchronizer rings among a host of alternative materials might
greatly impact the eventual success or failure of a product in the field [5]. Different types of
materials are used to manufacture synchronizer rings depending on the application. There are
basically two groups of material: dual function (Fig. 1a), structural and friction properties (Cu-Zn
alloys, Al-Si alloys, etc.) and single function (Fig. 1b), only structural property (rolled and sintered
steels, Cu-Zn alloys, Al alloys, etc.). Other important factors that affect strength and cost are those
ones related to manufacturing processes applied, such as casting, stamping, forging, sintering,
machining and bonding of coatings, used in the manufacturing of synchronizer rings.
Tables 1 and 2 respectively show a range of materials and coatings used as friction material in the
manufacturing of synchronizer rings.

(a) (b)

Fig. 1. Different type of materials application on synchronizer rings, (a) dual function, (b) single
function with lining on the inner cone.

Table 1. Base materials used in typical dual function synchronizer rings.

Typical Chemical Composition [%]
Material
Cu Zn Sn Al Be P Mn Fe Si Pb Ni Mg Others
Brass 57 - 60 33 - 38 0.25 max 0.70 - 1.10 - - 1.25 - 2.00 0.25 - 0.75 0.90 - 1.30 0.30 max - 0.01 max 1.00 max
Manganese Bronze 58 - 61 30 - 38 - 1.00 - 3.00 - - 2.00 - 4.00 0.25 max 0.80 - 1.00 0.35 max - - 0.20 max
Aluminum Bronze 85 - - 11 - - - 3.8 - - - - 0.7
Phosphor Bronze 95 0.30 max 3.5 - 5.8 - - 0.03 - 0.36 - 0.10 max - 0.05 max - - -
Beryllium Copper 97.4 - - - 1.8 - 2.0 - - 0.40 max - - 0.20 max - -
Silicon Alluminum 4.0 - 5.0 0.50 max 0.30 max rest - - 0.20 - 0.60 1.0 max 19.0 - 21.0 - 0.50 max 0.80 - 1.20 0.50 max

Table 2. Friction coating materials used in synchronizer ring cones.

Base Material Coating Materials in Synchronizer Ring Cones
Cu-Zn Alloys, Al Alloys, Paper
Steels, Sintered Steels Carbonless Paper
Molybdenum
Fabric impregnated with Carbon
Sintered bronze

The present investigation was undertaken to propose a solution to the synchronizer ring structural
material of a new transmission design. This component was initially designed with a Cu-Zn alloy
and showed premature failure on synchronizer teeth during tests. To eliminate this problem several
technical alternatives were analyzed considering the best cost and benefits ratio.

Experimental Procedure
Shifting Endurance Test. The endurance test is an accelerated evaluation that aims to foresee time
to failure of synchronizer set. A transmission is driven at the bench test and the shift cycling is
made by a pneumatic device. The number of shifts shall be equivalent to product life of the
transmission, and from the endurance test a design parameter (B10 life) is estimated in order to
analyze the product robustness. Five samples shall be approved to validate the application.
 Materials Science Forum Vols. 727-728 351

Materials Characterization. Some analyses were performed either in test specimen and parts
(synchronized rings). The following materials were investigated:
– A: Non standardized brass (NSB) alloy produced by forging process containing Cu-Zn-Ni-
Al-Si-Fe as main constituents;
– B: Sinter Hardening steel FLC-4908 per MPIF Standard 35 produced by diffusion bonded
powders, containing Fe-Cu-Mo as main constituents;
The chemical composition of the investigated materials is reported in Table 3.

Table 3. Chemical composition of synchronizer ring materials

Chemical Composition [%]
Material Description Fe C Cu Ni Mo Al Si Zn Mn
A Brass 0.71 - 55.51 6.71 - 3.23 2.16 Balance -
B Sinter-hardening steel Balance 0.60 1.95 - 1.31 - - - 0.10

Table 4 shows mechanical and physical characterization for the specimens in terms of tensile
strength, yield strength, elongation at rupture, hardness and density. Specimens of material A were
obtained from extruded tubes and material B were obtained from compacted specimens at 580 MPa
to a density at 7.0 g/cm3, sinter-hardening at 1120 °C for 25 minutes in atmosphere 95% N2/5% H2,
cooling rate at 2-2.5 °C/s and tempering at 180 °C/1h. Both tests were performed at room
temperature (25 °C).

Table 4. Comparative analysis of mechanical and physical properties obtained using specimens.
Material A B
Tensile Strength [MPa] 830 1048
Yield Strength [MPa] 720 932
Elongation at rupture [%] 3.00 0.34
Hardness [HV0.2] 245 700
Density [g/cm3] 7.9 7.0

Density of synchronizer ring made by sinter steel was also measured from two different regions of
the part, region 1: 7.04 g/cm3 and region 2: 7.34 g/cm3 showed in Fig. 2, which are typical of most
of the mechanical parts produced by Powder Metallurgy. This variation in density found within the
real part is due to the dissipative effect of friction during powder compaction [6].
Conventional metallography was used to check the microstructure of materials A and B. The
samples were taken from bench test parts. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used for
damage characterization.

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. 2. Density evaluation of the synchronizer ring, (a) geometry of the sample took from the ring,
(b) micrograph of region 1, (c) micrograph of region 2.

Results and Discussions

Failure Analysis. Brass was the first alternative of material tested due previous experience using
this alloy for synchronizer rings. Before achieving the expected lifetime in the endurance test, it was
detected gear clashing due the synchronizer ring damage. Stereomicroscope macrograph showing
352 Advanced Powder Technology VIII

the position and orientation of the failure is illustrated in Fig. 3a. Fig. 3(b,c) shows severe plastic
deformation on the upper side of the dog teeth of the synchronizer ring. Low hardness level of brass
could be the main reason of the premature failure on bench test since no evidence of abrasive or
adhesive wear was detected.

(a) (b) (c)

Fig. 3. Failure on dog teeth of the synchronizer ring. (a) Stereo micrograph showing the failure.
(b,c) Secondary electron image of the failure using SEM.

Endurance Test. To estimate the field failure-time distribution of synchronizer ring, it was done a
parametric distribution analysis of the failure data. All statistical analysis presented in the article, as
well as other life data analysis, were performed with typical statistical computer software [7], in
which the Weibull distribution showed had the better fit of the life data. This type of distribution
was originally proposed to represent fatigue data [8], and was widely applied to represent several
types of variables, including materials yield strength and many other types of engineering data,
besides steel fatigue life data [9]. So, the modeling of fatigue strength at a given life with a Weibull
distribution would be considered as appropriate. The Weibull analysis (Fig. 4) of bench test data
(Table 5) showed a very low mileage for B10 life (B10= 11,700 km), and with a target life of
320,000 Km for this project, it was necessary evaluate other materials options in order to have a
strong improvement of the synchronizer ring lives.

Table 5. Endurance test data for synchronizer rings made of brass. Three samples failed before
achieving B10 life.
Material Life [Km] Censuring
Brass 57600 fail
Brass 22400 fail
Brass 112000 fail

Probability Plot for Life (Km)

Weibull - 95% CI
Complete Data - LSXY Estimates
99.99 T able of S tatistics
S hape 1.19444
S cale 77047.3
95 M ean 72562.5
S tD ev 60998.1
80 M edian 56688.4
IQ R 74130.5
F ailure 3
50
Percent

C ensor 0
A D* 3.441
C orrelation 1.000
20
10

2
1
1E+0 1E+1 1E+2 1E+3 1E+4 1E+5 1E+6 1E+7
Life (Km)

Fig. 4. Weibull analysis of bench test data of brass synchronizer rings.

In order to choose a better material for this application, it was evaluated three different metals that
could replace brass (Table 6), where sinter and conventional steel were considered. As synchronizer
rings have very tight dimensional requirements, nitriding is the best option for conventional steel to
achieve high surface hardness with lowest distortion. In nitriding process, the absence of a
quenching requirement, and the comparatively low temperatures employed in this process, produces
 Materials Science Forum Vols. 727-728 353

less distortion and deformation than either carburizing or conventional hardening. Some growth
occurs as a result of nitriding, but volumetric changes are relatively small. On other hand, the
complex shape of this part makes the machining too costly.
Powder metal processing has shown excellent ability to fabricate complex parts with little or no
machining, moreover can achieve high level of hardness by surface hardening heat treatments like
carburizing or carbonitriding. These heat treatments are followed by cooling in fast quenchants,
most commonly in oil, that may present two typical problems. The first one is the dimensional
distortion due high carbon martensitic transformation near the surface and another one is the oil
retained into the porosity of the sintered steel that can reduce bonding effectiveness of the friction
material, which is bonded on inner diameter of the synchronizer ring.

Table 6. Comparison of typical properties of different choices of material for synchronizer rings.
(1)
Sinter steel and carbonitriding, (2) Sinter-hardening, (3) Rolled Steel.
Properties Brass SC(1) SH(2) RS(3)
Material NSB FN 0208 FLC 4908 SAE 4340
Tensile Strength (N/mm2) 830 1,070 1,025 1,500
2
Yield Strength (N/mm ) 720 1,070 910 1,200
Surface Hardness (HV) 240-300 600-780 600-780 ~1,000
Density (g/cm3) 7.90 7.00 7.00 7.85
Heat Treatment Annealing Carbonitriding Sinter-Hardening. Nitriding

The best fit in terms of properties, process and cost was sinter-hardening steel. This technology
allows achieving high strength and hardness immediately after sintering eliminating the need for a
postsinter heat treatment as surface hardening by oil quenching. Sinter-hardening steel has proved
to be a suitable alternative for synchronizer rings in gear box. [10]. The chosen alloy was FLC 4908
according MPIF Standard 35 because it shows the ability to promote the formation of martensite
and bainite during cooling from the sinter temperature and it is the most important factor to
optimize the microstructure and therefore the mechanical properties besides lower cost.
Metallurgical Analysis. Optical microscopy of the steel and brass parts is showed in Fig. 5. The
material A consisted of β-phase structure (Cu matrix) and hard intermetallic particles of NiAlSi that
give the alloy a high wear resistance [11] (Fig. 5a). Material B consisted primarily of tempered
martensite and bainite (Fig. 5b).

(a) (b)

NiAlSi
Bainite

Tempered Martensite
Β-phase

Fig. 5. Microstructure evaluation of (a) Brass and (b) FLC-4908

The hardness average of brass was 250±3 HV10 and sinter-hardening steel 439±30 HV10 (apparent
hardness). Higher standard deviation of hardness on FLC-4908 is due porosity effect on hardness
measuring. Microhardness measured near the surface of the sinter-hardening part was around 630
HV0.2, which is suitable to have a better plastic deformation resistance.
Sinter-Hardening Validation. Life data obtained for sinter-hardening synchronizer rings, tested in
same conditions of brass synchronizer rings for full life, was achieved without failure, then
censored (test interruptions) in all cases. Even in this case of no failure [12], was possible to analyze
354 Advanced Powder Technology VIII

the reliability of new sinter-hardening synchronizer rings, and compare it to original design.
Considering the same shape parameter (β = 1.2) as an estimative of a similar failures, end of life
(β > 1), it was possible estimate the Weibull distribution for the new condition. The new B10 life for
the sinter-hardening synchronizer rings (Fig. 6) is much higher than expected, achieving a virtual
condition of “infinite life” for this type of failure.

Probability Plot [fitted Ln (YS)] for Vida (Km)

Weibull - 95% CI
Censoring in Life = 320,000 Km - ML Estimates
99
Material (YS MPa)
90 Brass (720 MPa)
80 Sinter-hardening (932 MPa)
70
60
50
40
30
Percent

20

10

5
Table of S tatistics
3 S hape S cale A D * F C
2 1.2 6.61651E +04 3.674 3 0
1.2 5.53839E +12 * 0 5
1
1E+2 1E+3 1E+4 1E+5 1E+6 1E+7 1E+8 1E+9 1E+10 1E+11 1E+12 1E+13 1E+14
Life (Km)

Fig. 6. Comparison of Weibull distribution between brass and sinter-hardening steel.

Conclusions
This article shows that synchronizer ring made of brass showed plastic deformation on the dog teeth
leading to gear clashing. The B10 life achieved was much lower than expected for this application.
As expected, FLC-4908 has shown higher mechanical properties than brass alloy studied. It is
important observe that the life improvement is much higher than the proportional increase of
mechanical properties, making clear the effect of other characteristics of the sinter-hardening at
synchronizer ring life.
From these results, sinter-hardening steel can be considered as a material alternative for brass based
synchronizer rings that presents same failure mode, because it showed infinite life in the accelerated
endurance test.

References
[1] A. Bouffet. Evaluating tribology of synchronizers for today’s manual transmissions. Toulouse:
SAE. SAE paper 2004-01-2022. 8 p. (2004).
[2] G. Lechner, H. Naunheimer. Automotive transmissions: fundamentals, selection, design and
application. Berlin: Springer 448 p. (1999).
[3] L. Mccord. Gylon friction material for transmission synchronizers. Detroit: SAE. SAE paper
860382. 8 p. (1986).
[4] L.S. Sigl et al. Processing and performance of PM synchronizer rings with friction linings.
Valência: [s.n.] (2003).
[5] J.W.K. Chan and T.K.L. Tong: Mater Des. Vol. 28 (2007), p. 1539.
[6] M. Rajab and D.S. Coleman: Powder Metall Vol. 28 (4) (1985), p.207.
[7] Minitab 16 Statistical Software (2011). [Computer software]. Eaton Corporation: Minitab, Inc.
(http://www.minitab.com).
[8] W. Weibull. A Statistical Representation Of Fatigue Failures In Solids, Transactions Of The
Royal Institute Of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden, Number 27 (1949).
 Materials Science Forum Vols. 727-728 355

[9] W. Weibull. A Statistical Distribution Function of Wide Applicability, ASME Journal of

Applied Mechanics, Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, September
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[10] R. Ratzi and P. Orth: Metal Powder Report Vol. 55 (7-8) (2000), p. 20.
[11] H Mindivan, H. Çimenglu, E.S. Kayali: Wear Vol. 254 (2003), p. 532.
[12] W. Nelson: Journal of Quality Technology Vol. 17 (3) (1985).
 Advanced Powder Technology VIII
10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.727-728

Application of Sintered Steel for Synchronizer Rings Used in Mechanical

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10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.727-728.349

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