New Technology Adds a Spark to Vehicle Performance

BROADVIEW, Ill., Sept. 29 -- Robert Bosch Corporation, the world's largest supplier of automotive parts and systems to car makers and the aftermarket, has introduced the Platinum Iridium Fusion(TM) spark plug to provide more efficient fuel combustion for optimum horsepower and extended performance life. Bosch's Ir Fusion spark plug is available for virtually all domestic and imported vehicles.

The newest member of Bosch's spark plug family, the Ir Fusion combines platinum and iridium in the center electrode with Bosch's exclusive surface air gap technology for more consistent performance, said Martin Kashnowski, Director of Product Management for Bosch. www.boschautoparts.com.

"A gasoline engine depends on the spark plug to operate," Kashnowski said. "The spark ignites the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber and contributes to optimal and reliable functioning of the engine."

According to Kashnowski, the Bosch Platinum Ir Fusion spark plug's combination of platinum and iridium in the center core virtually eliminates core erosion, preventing the gap from widening. This ensures a strong spark over a longer life span, with no increase in voltage requirement. The plug also features four yttrium-enhanced ground electrodes and a factory preset gap that never requires adjustment.

"Increased gap on a spark plug causes higher voltage requirements," said Kashnowski. "Our durability tests have proven that even after 300 hours of testing the Bosch Fusion shows virtually no increase in the 'gap.'"

Bosch has pioneered a host of innovations in spark plug technology since it entered the U.S. market in 1906 with the first commercially viable high voltage spark plug and magneto -- one of the most significant being "pure platinum technology."

As early as the 1960s, Bosch engineering research discovered the value of using an exotic metal such as platinum in spark plugs. Platinum is corrosion- and erosion-resistant and promises a consistent and reliable spark, a broader heat range and a longer service life.

"Every time a spark plug fires, a tiny bit of metal is lost in the electrical discharge -- which can widen the plug gap and degrade the spark," explained Kashnowski. "Combining precious metals such as platinum and iridium with multiple electrodes ensures a 'correct,' consistent spark necessary to keep the engine running smoothly and efficiently, while holding the emissions under control."

Bosch's Ir Fusion is the only spark plug which combines platinum and iridium in the center core and uses yttrium as a technological design component, according to Kashnowski. Yttrium -- a rare earth element often used in manufacturing superconductors and television screens -- offers improved resistance to spark wear from erosion and oxidation, Kashnowski said.