W. L. Gore & Associates has expanded its line of GORE® Automotive Vents to include the new Series:AVS 41 (P/N VE2048) venting solution, which is engineered specifically for powertrain components. This new vent improves component reliability by equalizing pressure, preventing contamination from water, dust, dirt, and other automotive fluids and simplifying design challenges, ultimately resulting in lower overall costs. GORE® Automotive Vents for powertrain applications are engineered to protect components such as transmissions, transfer cases, power transfer units, axles, and limited slip couplings from the most extreme operating conditions. The continuous airflow of GORE® Automotive Vents equalizes internal pressure, which improves reliability by reducing vacuum and premature failure of housing seals. In addition to airflow, the vent’s membrane provides resistance to contamination from dust, dirt, water spray, flooding,and freezing. The unique pre-filter protects the membrane from lubricant particles in the air stream. The protective cap serves as an extra barrier against impact. This unique combination of membrane, pre-filter, and protective cap ensures long-lasting protection—even after exposure to the challenging road conditions common for these powertrain components.

The versatility of the GORE® Automotive Vent for powertrain applications translates to reduced costs because the same vent can be used in multiple applications reducing design customization, installation complexity, and validation. In addition, this vent can easily be connected to an existing powertrain system via a tube without requiring any modifications to the powertrain component design. According to Brian Deane, global product manager for GORE® Automotive Vents, one of the biggest challenges for powertrain design is predicting the environmental conditions a component may be subjected to while balancing the cost and complexity of over-engineering a solution. "Traditional venting approaches have resulted in custom assemblies that increase costs and still have shortcomings that can compromise reliability," Deane explains. "Before designing our new product, we evaluated the challenges that powertrains encounter while on the road. Then we engineered a single vent that withstands the most difficult environmental conditions and protects critical automotive fluids and internal components from premature failure. As a result, the Series: AVS 41 (P/N VE2048) of GORE® Automotive Vents reduces design costs by providing a single venting solution for all powertrain components."