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Piston Rings For Large Marine Diesel Engines

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Piston rings are manufactured using the pot casting

method, producing a short cylinder of oval cross section
from which the rings are machined. This produces a
balanced and homogenous casting around the entire
circumference of the ring.

Materials

Generally speaking the piston ring must be harder than the liner in which it runs. Rings are cast and machined from grey
cast iron. This may include some additions such as chromium, molybdenum, vanadium, titanium, nickel and copper. In
some engines nodular or spheroidal graphite iron is used, which has greater hardness and tensile strength, as has
vermicular or compact graphite cast iron, the use of which is becoming more widespread. Alloying elements such as
titanium and vanadium form hard insoluble carbides within the matrix.

Manufacture

The primary sealing effect of the piston ring is achieved by the inherent tension of the ring which makes it contact the
cylinder wall around its whole circumference. Rings in early engines were hammered around their circumference to
induce a tension in a circular ring. Two methods are used today; the thermally tensioned ring and the oval pot cam turning
method. The cheaper method employed mainly for small engines is the Thermally Tensioned Ring. In this method the ring
is machined from a circular pot to the cylinder diameter. A gap is cut in the ring into which a distance piece is inserted,
thus expanding the ring. The ring and distance piece is then placed in an oven to relieve the induced stresses. This method
suffers from the disadvantage the rings lose their tension in the heat of the engine.

The Oval Pot Cam Turning Method is more expensive but

produces a ring which retains its tension when working in
the engine. The rings are machined from the cast oval
pots in a cam turning lathe. The lathe is equipped with an
interchangeable copying cam , which controls the cutting
tools. By changing the shape or ovality of the cam, the
circumferential pressure distribution around the ring can
be altered.

The advantage of this method is that when the ring is in storage, it is under no artificially induced tensions. Also when the
ring is expanded for fitting over the piston the stresses induced in the back of the ring are not in addition to any previous
built in stresses. A ring cast by this method always tends to return to its natural stress free state by pressing against the
cylinder walls.

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When the pot has been machined and the ring parted off,
the gap is cut in the ring (7 - 13% dia) and the ring
ground on its flanks to ensure good sealing in the piston
ring grooves.

Plating of Rings

Piston rings need to combine strength with wear resistance. To enhance the wear resistant properties the rings can be
plated with a layer of different material.

Chrome plating is the most common form of surface treatment It is

used on the running surface of compression rings and on the flanks
(landing surfaces). It is also used on oil scraper rings. Chromium
plating combines good wear resistance with low friction and corrosion
resistance. The plating must be of high quality to operate under the
arduous conditions of load and temperature without peeling, breaking
away or softening.

Plasma coating provides a running surface with better properties than chrome plating. A gas mixture is directed through
an electric arc generated between a tungsten electrode and a water cooled copper tube . Very high temperatures are
generated, the gas molecules atoms dissociate and into this plasma state metal, carbides, or ceramics are sprayed as a fine
powder, these melt, and coat the ring surface.

Chromium plated, and plasma sprayed coatings are limited in

thickness and the strength of the bonding to the parent metal. A
method of laser treatment which hardens the running surface has
been developed, which produces a wear resistant outside layer
several times thicker than conventional coatings. The treated
zone has a complex material matrix with high hardness and good
sliding properties.

Soft Coatings for Running In

Copper Plating is plated directly on to the

base material of the ring or on to the
chromium plated layer. The plating is very
thin and has a life long enough to allow
bedding in of the ring whilst running in.

Plasma rings can be graphite coated to aid

with running in.

Plain rings can be ferrox or phosphate

coated. This creates a thin protective layer
on the piston ring which absorbs oil and aids
protection of the ring and liner during the
first hours of use.

Ring Pack Designs

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2 Stroke Ring Packs

4 Stroke Ring packs

Two Manufacturers of Marine Diesel Engine Piston Rings are Daros

and Standard Piston Ring Co.

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