The Role of Surface Engineering in the Automotive Industry
The Role of Surface Engineering in the Automotive Industry
The subject of surface engineering in the automotive industry has developed significantly in the last decade. A large driving force for the need for surface treatments has been energy consumption. 30 per cent of all energy consumed in the European Union derives from transportation activities, relying solely on fossil fuels. Due to this, and the push to reduce the emissions of polluting gases, car manufacturers must produce increasingly energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. One way to do this is by reducing energy losses and wear rates of vehicle components, by either implementing new materials or applying improved surface treatments. In addition, surface treatments have also found decorative applications. [1, 2]
Increased demands from modern automotive systems have necessitated the use of these new technologies to give such improved properties as increased load handling, longer lifetimes and corrosion resistance to name but a few. Engines in particular have received much attention. The engine and its components alone contribute to 15 percent of the total frictional losses in the vehicle. Aluminium alloys have more recently been preferred to cast iron to reduce the overall weight of the car, to improve fuel efficiency and road performance. However, as engine technology continues to develop, and more power is demanded from the unit, so the severity of the operating conditions of the components increases. This has lead to a downturn in engine performance, mainly due to piston ring contact with cylinder sleeves. Figure 1 shows the distribution of frictional losses in the engine. Methods that have been developed for these will be discussed later. [1, 2, 3]
Figure 1 The distribution of frictional losses in IC engines [a]
A wide range of surface treatments can be used in all aspects of the vehicle, including:
Thermal and plasma spraying
Physical vapour deposition (PVD)
The subject of surface engineering in the automotive industry has developed significantly in the last decade. A large driving force for the need for surface treatments has been energy consumption. 30 per cent of all energy consumed in the European Union derives from transportation activities, relying solely on fossil fuels. Due to this, and the push to reduce the emissions of polluting gases, car manufacturers must produce increasingly energy efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles. One way to do this is by reducing energy losses and wear rates of vehicle components, by either implementing new materials or applying improved surface treatments. In addition, surface treatments have also found decorative applications. [1, 2]
Increased demands from modern automotive systems have necessitated the use of these new technologies to give such improved properties as increased load handling, longer lifetimes and corrosion resistance to name but a few. Engines in particular have received much attention. The engine and its components alone contribute to 15 percent of the total frictional losses in the vehicle. Aluminium alloys have more recently been preferred to cast iron to reduce the overall weight of the car, to improve fuel efficiency and road performance. However, as engine technology continues to develop, and more power is demanded from the unit, so the severity of the operating conditions of the components increases. This has lead to a downturn in engine performance, mainly due to piston ring contact with cylinder sleeves. Figure 1 shows the distribution of frictional losses in the engine. Methods that have been developed for these will be discussed later. [1, 2, 3]
Figure 1 The distribution of frictional losses in IC engines [a]
A wide range of surface treatments can be used in all aspects of the vehicle, including:
Thermal and plasma spraying
Physical vapour deposition (PVD)
References: [2] Ürgen, M., Çakir, A.F., Erdemir, A. (2004). Advanced Tribological Coatings for Automotive Applications, pp. 1-5. [3] Merlo, A.M. (2003). The contribution of surface engineering to the product performance in the automotive industry, Surface & Coatings Technology, Vol. [174-175], pp. 21-26. [4] Bosch (2000). Automotive Handbook (5th Edition), Robert Bosch GmbH, pp. 268-329. [5] AZoM (2006). http://www.azom.com/details.asp?ArticleID=623#_Plasma_Assisted_CVD, Last viewed 10/12/06. [6] Hart, A. (1996). Electroplating of Plastics, Materials World, Vol [4], No. [5], pp.265-267. [7] Sulzer Metco (2006). www.sulzermetco.com/eprise/Sulzermetco/Sites/Products/Metaplas/overview.htm, Last viewed 11/12/06. [b-f] Vetter, J., Barbezat, G., Crummenauer, J., Avissar, J. (2005). Surface treatment selections for automotive applications, Surface & Coatings Technology, Vol. [200], p. 1963-1968.