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[Oct 2006]
Handy Coating for Supermono Team
A ceramic coating developed for the nuclear energy industry is allowing a motorcycle race team to handle hot exhausts with bare hands.
A plasma-sprayed ceramic coating originally developed for the nuclear energy industry has solved a long-standing problem for motorsport engineer Gary Smith and his bike racing brother Mick. Building a racing motorcycle to contest the innovative Supermono class, they were worried about the heat generated by the exhaust system. There was concern both for the rider and for the machine’s performance and durability, due to the exhaust being sited close to both the former’s legs and to the bike’s radiator. A traditional asbestos wrap would solve the problem but it would not be very durable and its bulk would restrict air flow and make fast pit-stops more difficult.
The brothers took their quandary to the Autosport International Show at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and made their way to the Accentus Zircotec stand. "We had read a few things about Zircotec in the show preview," recalls Gary, who found that the company’s ceramic coatings provided an excellent solution to the team’s problem. Its new, single cylinder, 450cc Honda-powered bike was scheduled to appear at the London Motor Cycle Show so Zircotec agreed to coat the Milltek Sport stainless steel exhaust system in time for the event. "We had it back in two days," says an impressed Gary.
The entire system was coated including the header and the megaphone. As well as protecting both rider and machine, the zirconia-based ceramic coating allows members of the team to work on the bike the minute it comes into the pits. The laser guided thermometer that they use to check the temperature of the engine, radiator and tyres has indicated that while the exhaust can have an internal temperature of around 150°C, the outside temperate can be low enough for it to be picked up. "You can take the exhaust pipe off without using gloves," says Smith, who believes that this is one of the first uses of the high-tech coating on a motorcycle.
The Smith Brothers’ Wyndeham Blacketts Simoto Supermono bike features a hand built chassis by Simon Martin, which has been 6082 heat treated, shot peened and then anodised silver. Its Shell-lubricated Honda CRF450R engine has been tuned and built by Lyndon Poskitt. Exhaust manufacturer Milltek Sport has worked closely with the team to develop different exhaust pipe and silencer configurations to suit the different power and torque demands made by each circuit, using a lightweight combination of thin wall stainless steel tube and titanium sheet.
The team, which operates under the name GP1 Lung (a reference to its bike’s single cylinder), contests races in both the British ACO and the European Supermono championships with riders Alex Hutchinson and Nigel John. The Supermono class started life around 25 years ago, although its present popularity dates back to the early 1990s when three specialist frame manufacturers decided to raise the profile of single cylinder racing. Since then even the major manufacturers have produced bikes for this type of series. The rules dictate four-stroke, single cylinder machines with a maximum engine capacity of 800cc. The beauty of the formula is that it allows plenty of scope for design and innovation.
The Zircotec process
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 a wide range of highly aggressive environments. A major reason for their use in motorsport is to protect surrounding structures. Carbon fibre body parts, for example, can delaminate if scorched. It is also important to stop heat ingress into lubrication areas such as gearboxes and the oil supply and radiator lines and to ensure that air intake temperatures are as low as possible to increase charge density. Drivers are also able to concentrate more effectively if they are working in a cooler environment.Zircotec’s zirconia-based ceramics have a thermal efficiency of less than 1.7 W/m K, so provide an excellent thermal barrier. When applied to an exhaust system, the Zircotec coating inhibits the radiation of heat from the surface of the material, holding the heat inside. The new ceramic carbon coating uses a similar process to help protect the substrate material from heat sources in close proximity.
www.accentus-zircotec.com
ENDS