Found an interesting web page on a company that does coating for various racing formulae, including F1. They also do piston design apparently. Check out:
www.poeton.co.uk/pands/engine/
Another interesting site on a quite different heat treatment method, relating to gears and surface finish.
www.geartechnology.com/mag/micro.htm
Mark
Ceramic cylinder coatings
Started by
MRC
, Sep 11 2001 02:15
4 replies to this topic
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#2
DEVO
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Posted 12 September 2001 - 16:45
I've seen this done with Porsche rebuilds... early 911s.
#3
Top Fuel F1
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Posted 12 September 2001 - 21:31
I looked into ceramics for engine parts about a year ago. Since then I've seen numerious companies coming out with all kinds of claims about their newest processes. Almost too many for anyone to evaluate. When I looked into this there seemed to be several documented processes that have been utilized:
1. Nikasil: Nickel/Silizium applied in a galvanizing process to the surface of aluminium parts. In extreme conditions the coating can flake off.
2. Lokasil: Silizium/Aluminium Alloy. Where silizium containing fibers are added to the casting mold as a pre-form, then followed by the casting of the aluminium. Then the top layer of aluminium is removed leaving the hardened silizium crystals.
3. Silizium Plasma Spray Process. This can be applied to either individual parts (cly. liners/pistons) or to liner-less blocks such as Cosworth's.
Notes: Silizium is German for Silicon; Plasma as reguarding electrical.
Mclaren/Ilmor is currently using the Nikasil process.
Rgds;
1. Nikasil: Nickel/Silizium applied in a galvanizing process to the surface of aluminium parts. In extreme conditions the coating can flake off.
2. Lokasil: Silizium/Aluminium Alloy. Where silizium containing fibers are added to the casting mold as a pre-form, then followed by the casting of the aluminium. Then the top layer of aluminium is removed leaving the hardened silizium crystals.
3. Silizium Plasma Spray Process. This can be applied to either individual parts (cly. liners/pistons) or to liner-less blocks such as Cosworth's.
Notes: Silizium is German for Silicon; Plasma as reguarding electrical.
Mclaren/Ilmor is currently using the Nikasil process.
Rgds;
#4
bergwerk
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Posted 12 September 2001 - 23:36
Ford (maybe SVO ) looked at it many moons ago and nothing came of it.
Then there was a composite engine block of some sort that was going to use the ceramic coating and again nothing came of it.
The current coating in mode is a process by a German company that supplies Mercedes with a special cylinder coating for their road car engines. MB had to come up with something once they droped their expensive in-line cast iron blocks and went to aluminium V6 configurations.
GM is rumored to be looking into this for Corvette and other HO engines.
Then there was a composite engine block of some sort that was going to use the ceramic coating and again nothing came of it.
The current coating in mode is a process by a German company that supplies Mercedes with a special cylinder coating for their road car engines. MB had to come up with something once they droped their expensive in-line cast iron blocks and went to aluminium V6 configurations.
GM is rumored to be looking into this for Corvette and other HO engines.
#5
MRC
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- 308 posts
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Posted 12 September 2001 - 23:37
When I initially looked at this site, they metion that the coating is a metal matrix with a ceramic particles, imbedded. After looking around the site, it looks like it is basically a version of Nikasil. I beleive Nikasil is quite prevalent in sport bikes, currently. I believe that Nikasil was first developed for motorsport use by Porsche in cooperation with Mahle. It was interesting to note on this page that the engines that are getting treated, are first honed with toqueing blocks, and at 120 C. 120 C is the engine temp for an F1 engine, I understand. Many people use a torque plate for honing, but do not hone at operating temp.
Mark
Mark
