Automotive fan drives are viscous friction drives in which the vehicle's engine engages the fan indirectly via a thin film of silicone fluid. When the engine reaches a speed approximating 30 mph/50 kmph, the air resistance on the fan overpowers the driving torque of the engine, idling the fan and using less energy.

 

Early in the development of the fan drive, engineers discovered that when the drive rotor, in operation, made contact with the drive housing, a momentary hot spot was created. The heat was sufficient to convert the silicone fluid into a gel, losing the energy-saving effect of the fan drive.

 

The solution was to coat the rotor and housing with a 25 micron/0.001 in. coating of Xylan 1014 to stop metal-to-metal contact, keep the mechanism running smoothly and eliminate the gelling of the fluid.

 

Xylan 1014 reduced wear and
heat build up due to friction.