Abstract
The environmental and pollution materials emission standards in Europe are going to be more strict. In order to meet the standards, a European automotive manufacturer performs a finishing laser treatment on the honed cast iron cylinder bores of their V-engine blocks. Samples of laser treated cast iron cylinder bores with lamellar graphite were investigated. Due to the growing popularity and high efficiency of fiber lasers, samples treated with Yb-fiber lasers were investigated. In order to evaluate the microstructure and grain size of the laser treated layer, scanning electron microscopic images were taken on cross sectioned samples with a scanning electron microscope/focused ion beam dual beam electron microscope. The samples were found to be ultra fine grained. Nanoindentation hardness measurements of the surface layer showed a clear linear trend between the laser power density in the applied range and the measured hardness. Additional micro hardness measurements suggest an annealed region beneath the surfa ce.
Highlights
The environmental and pollution materials emission standards in Europe and worldwide are going to be more strict, and fuel prices are continuously increasing
To improve the mechanical and tribological properties of different cylinder bores it is possible to use special mechanical treatment [11] or chemical coatings [12–14] and laser structuring treatments [15] or – which is used by a large European automotive manufacturer – a special laser surface treatment on the cast iron V-block engines to alter the properties of the cylinder bores
The slight difference between the two series Y1-Y4 and Y5-Y8 is that the Y1-Y4 laser treatments were made in the same bore of the cylinder block and the Y5-Y8 laser treatments were made in the same engine block but in separate cylinder bores
Summary
The environmental and pollution materials emission standards in Europe and worldwide are going to be more strict, and fuel prices are continuously increasing. These facts persuade the automotive engine developers to build more efficient and environmentally friendly engines. It is obvious that the engines should have a long lifetime [1] Both the consumption reduction and the power increase of Otto- or Diesel-engines cause higher pressures in the combustion chamber resulting higher tribological load and wear rate for the piston rings and to the cylinder bore [1]. Due to the inhomogenity of the pearlitic matrix and carbon lamellae, oil reserving holes are formed This treatment results in an increased power output and reduced oil consumption [1, 16]
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