Vehicle steering knuckles support and position wheel bearings and spindles, while providing the connection to the control arms and/or struts. High-end knuckles traditionally are made out of forged steel or aluminum; low-end knuckles tend to be produced in cast iron. Tesla Motor Co. worked with Compass Automotive Group, Fruitport, Mich., to design fully hollow knuckles produced in cast aluminum for its Model S fully electric car. The knuckle is the world's first series production for the long, completely hollow goose neck steering knuckle cast design. Previous incarnations of a hollow aluminum cast steering knuckle, as used by premium German automaker Porsche, incorporated hollow gooseneck areas rather than the entire knuckle. The fully hollow knuckle, produced via vacuum riserless/pressure riserless casting (VRC/PRC) weighs 65% less than its cast iron counterpart and 25% less than a solid aluminum design, leading to increased driving range for the electric passenger car. For more on the VRC/PRC process and how the hollow casting was produced, see "Improving Structural Efficiency in Suspension Components" on p. 48.
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机译：车辆转向节支撑并定位车轮轴承和主轴，同时提供与控制臂和/或支柱的连接。传统上，高端指节是由锻钢或铝制成的。低端转向节倾向于用铸铁制成。特斯拉汽车公司（Tesla Motor Co.）与密歇根州Fruitport的Compass汽车集团合作，为其S型全电动汽车设计了用铸铝制成的全空心指节。指节是世界上第一个批量生产的，完全空心的鹅颈转向节铸型设计。德国高级汽车制造商保时捷（Porsche）使用的空心铝铸转向节的前身是结合空心鹅颈区域而不是整个指节。通过无立管/无立管铸造（VRC / PRC）生产的全空心转向节，其重量比铸铁同类产品轻65％，比实心铝设计轻25％，从而增加了电动乘用车的行驶里程。有关VRC / PRC工艺以及中空铸件生产方式的更多信息，请参见第4页中的“提高悬架部件的结构效率”。 48。
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