 |
 |
||||||
[Nov 2006]
Affordable Ceramic Coating Technology for Performance Road Car Applications
More durable than wrap, advanced ceramic coatings for exhausts, turbo housings and cam covers are now available for high performance road and track applications, reducing under bonnet temperatures.
Already used effectively by Formula One and World Rally teams, advanced surface coating specialist Zircotec has made available its ceramic coating technology to anyone looking to reduce under bonnet temperatures which can
lead to improved performance and engine reliability. Originally developed
by the nuclear energy industry, Zircotec’s high temperature plasma-sprayed ceramic coatings provide lightweight, easily packaged and highly durable thermal barriers for engine ancillaries such as exhausts and manifolds.Today’s modified performance road cars can run much hotter than the manufacturer originally intended. Squeezing more power from an engine without increasing cooling can lead to poor reliability, lower performance and damage to ancillary components. Track day cars are equally affected, with rising under bonnet temperatures inflicting further stress on the engine.
The Zircotec coating is proven to significantly reduce engine bay heat build up, even offering better engine performance. "The more heat and energy you can keep in the system, the faster the turbo will spool up, making the car more responsive," explains Iain Litchfield, Managing Director of Litchfield Imports which is using the technology on its 415bhp Impreza Type 25. "We’re finding it’s bringing the turbo up to speed 300 or 400 rpm sooner, which you can really feel in the crispness of the throttle response." In addition, lower air intake temperatures increase charge density and can lead to power gains.
When applied to an exhaust system, the Zircotec coating inhibits the radiation of heat from the surface of the material, holding the heat inside. Testing on race cars has shown reductions in under bonnet temperatures by up to 25ºC, in one example even preventing a previous problem of melting spark plugs.
Unlike ceramic paints and coatings applied by other techniques that can burn off and become brittle, leading to flaking, the Zircotec process is proven to be highly durable in harsh applications, says the company. The coating is even durable, enough to resist local impacts. Customers looking to benefit from this technology can simply send their components to Zircotec who apply the fit-and-forget thermal barrier. Alternatively a growing number of exhaust builders are offering the service. One example is Primary Designs which is offering the coating on its Ford Focus RS components. Zircotec is also working on ceramic coated heatshield packages for popular applications, making it even easier to solve high temperature problems.
www.accentus-zircotec.com
ENDS