Choosing to coat your piston rings has been proven to extend their life and improve their efficiency. For example, coating a piston ring can prevent scuffing and reduce corrosion. If, however, you select the wrong coating for your piston rings you can cause excessive wear and reduce the performance of your rings, it is therefore essential you select the right type of coating.
Ceramic chrome
Most commonly used for 2 and 4 stroke engine applications, a ceramic chrome piston ring coating is a great coating option to reduce friction and minimise wear at higher temperatures. Ceramic chrome is a popular option due to its good thermal stability.
Hard chrome
Often used on 2 and 4 stroke engines, hard chrome is incredibly durable, wear resistant and prevents galling.
Nickel graphite
Nickel graphite is most commonly applied with another coating to help the coating and piston ring bed-in. Applications for nickel graphite coatings are fairly universal but is particularly powerful when used on plasma sprayed coatings.
Copper
Copper coatings are applied to help piston rings bed-in during their first use, however, copper coatings are generally very thin and only survive for the first few hours of an engine’s operation. This should be considered when selecting your piston coating.
Molybdenum
Molybdenum is popular because of its anti-scuffing properties which makes it suitable for use with 4 stroke top rings. This coating is usually plasma sprayed and offers great wear resistance.
The above are just some of the coating options available for marine and industrial piston rings. If you would like more guidance about piston ring coatings or piston rings in general, do not hesitate to contact Precision Products UK. As a leading piston ring manufacturer, we have the expertise and experience to answer any questions you may have.