Tough Coating for the Cylinders
Less friction, reduced weight and unparalleled wear resistance from a thermal sprayed microstructure of metallic and oxide components that metallurgically transform are the key benefits of the PTWA coating inside the cylinders, an alternative to the traditional cast-in-place or pressed-in cast iron cylinder liners.
The PTWA coating is ultra-thin, compared with 3 to 4 millimeters of a cast iron liner and has 10 times the wear resistance.
Minimizing friction throughout the engine enhances its efficiency, reducing its emissions and fuel consumption.
The PTWA coating is applied to the Hurricane block during the manufacturing process at the
Saltillo Engine Plant. The process, adapted from the aerospace industry, melts a steel alloy wire at 2,300 degrees Celsius (4,150 degrees Fahrenheit), producing microscopic particles sprayed onto the cylinder walls at high velocities, where the particles splat-cool to form the coating and form a physical bond to the aluminum cylinder bore. Honing the surface gives it a super-fine cross hatch pattern with controlled micro porosity for oil retention.
The PTWA spray process leaves more aluminum between the cylinders for better heat transfer and engine cooling. This enables propulsion engineers to optimize the air-fuel mixture and advance the ignition timing (spark) over a wide operating range, another mechanism to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions.
