According to Dana, traditional single-layer transmission valve body plates using paper gaskets have limited sealability, resulting in reduced efficiency due to oil leakage, as well as potential warranty concerns due to bond failures, paper erosion and particle contamination.
Dana says its more durable product enables advanced multispeed, dual clutch and continuously variable transmissions to operate with improved efficiency, reliability and overall performance, increasing valve body sealing for high-performance transmissions to more than 1,200 pounds psi.
The valve body has a labyrinth of sealing channels that carries transmission fluids under pressure to clutch packs, band servos and hydraulic devices that enable the transmission to shift based on speed, load and torque. Dana’s plates are fluoroelastomer-coated for micro-sealing in critical areas, providing added control of fluids for sustained performance under higher pressures.
The MLS transmission separator plates were developed at Dana’s technical center in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria, Germany, and will be produced at its facilities in Neu-Ulm, and Danville, Ky.
