Cylinder Wall Surface Treatment for Coating Adhesion

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Solution Overview

Problem

Internal combustion engine cylinder walls made of light metal, such as aluminum, exhibit poor tribological properties, leading to inadequate wear resistance and requiring additional measures to enhance the adhesion of coatings for improved performance.

Innovation Solution

A method involving mechanical processing with a cutting tool to create spiral grooves and subsequent high-pressure blasting to introduce micro-indentations, enhancing the surface area and anchoring of the coating layer, which can include thermal spraying for a form-fit connection.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If high-pressure blasting is used to roughen cylinder walls, then adhesion of coating is improved, but nozzle wear increases and manufacturing precision deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating adhesionVSAvoidform and position tolerances
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The roughening process is divided into two distinct stages: mechanical roughening to create the basic anchor pattern, followed by controlled blasting to refine the surface. This segmentation allows each process to be optimized independently, preventing the tolerance deterioration that occurs when blasting is used alone.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Mechanical roughening is performed as a preliminary step before blasting. The mechanical process pre-prepares the surface by creating initial anchor points and removing sharp edges, which reduces the aggressiveness required in the subsequent blasting step and preserves form and position tolerances.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If mechanical roughening with grooves is used, then coating anchoring is improved, but notch effect increases and cleaning requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecoating anchoringVSAvoidnotch effect
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The blasting process applies localized treatment to the groove regions, rounding only the sharp edges and corners while preserving the overall groove geometry. This creates a surface with local quality variations - smooth in bulk areas, slightly roughened at critical anchor points - reducing the harmful notch effect while maintaining coating anchoring.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The sharp edges created by mechanical grooving, which initially represent a harmful notch effect, are converted into beneficial features through controlled blasting rounding. The blasting process transforms these sharp stress concentration points into smooth transitions that actually enhance coating adhesion by creating better mechanical interlocking without stress concentration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Shape

If high-pressure blasting is used, then surface roughening is achieved, but medium consumption increases and reprocessing costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesurface roughnessVSAvoidmedium consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ShapeVSLoss of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of using high-pressure blasting extensively to achieve the required surface roughness, the invention applies blasting partially - only after mechanical roughening has done the bulk of the work. This partial action approach achieves the necessary surface characteristics with significantly reduced medium consumption.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The invention merges two roughening methods - mechanical and blasting - into a combined process. The mechanical process handles the majority of material removal and surface preparation, while blasting provides final surface refinement. This combination is more material-efficient than relying solely on high-pressure blasting.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method significantly improves the adhesion and homogeneity of the coating layer, reducing the notch effect and maintaining shape and position tolerances, while eliminating the need for subsequent cleaning, resulting in a high-quality coating that enhances the tribological properties of the cylinder walls.

Implementation Method 1

irradiating the wall (1) with a medium under high pressure to produce micro-recesses

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHigh-pressure impact: Impact Force

Implementation Method 2

producing a spiral groove (2) in the wall (1) by means of a cutting tool (3)

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMechanical cutting:

Data Source

PatentEP3041970B1Method of treating a cylinder wall of an internal combustion engine
Publication Date: 2019.04.24 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG
  • EP3041970B1 patent drawingFigure 1~5
  • EP3041970B1 patent drawingFigure 6

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for machining a wall (1) of a cylinder (8) of an internal combustion engine, in which recesses in the wall (1) are introduced by means of mechanical machining. The invention is characterized in that the wall (1) is radiated with a medium under high pressure after the mechanical machining in order to introduce micro-recesses.