Coating for Advanced Aluminum Engine Production
June 1, 2016
PTWA (Plasma Transferred Wire Arc) is a thermal spray technology offered by Comau for the automotive market. The coating system allows automakers to coat the cylinders of engine blocks with a layer of wear-resistant material, representing an alternative to the cast iron sleeves that are typically applied.
This solution allows automakers to use aluminum instead of cast iron to develop new engine blocks while maintaining the same level of mechanical performance. "It is Comau's answer to one of the most frequent market challenges of today: the continuous search for materials and design solutions to reduce the weight of a vehicle, and the mechanical losses, which affect its performance," said a company spokesperson.
"The characteristics of aluminum do not guarantee the same resistance as cast iron," continued the spokesperson. "However, Comau's PTWA technology consists of coating aluminum cylinder bores with a fine mist of steel particles sprayed at an extremely high speed. These plasma coated aluminum cylinders are more durable than non-coated cylinders and help reduce the final weight of the engine while increasing endurance and lowering energy consumption inside the combustion chamber."
In terms of weight, the PTWA treatment provides a reduction up to 0.5 kg per cylinder according to the engine's geometry, and an optimization of its efficiency over time, due to performance enhancement in terms of thermodynamics, heat loss and consumption.
For more information contact:
Comau LLC
21000 Telegraph Rd.
Southfield, MI 48033
888-888-8998 / 248-353-8888
www.comau.com
< back