Measure Nikasil Coatings On Aluminum Automotive Cylinders

The Nikasil® Coating in Motorsport

Automotive cylinders are subject to extreme mechanical wear. A way of protecting aluminium cylinders is to plate the contact surfaces with Nikasil®, a hard coating technology used to improve the tribological characteristics of the cylinder parts and to optimize the heat transfer. It is often used for high-end engine components of premium car brands and in motor sports.

The Ideal Contact Surface for Pistons and Rings

Nikasil® (from the German for NickelCarbide-Silicon – Nickel-KarbidSilizium) is an electroplated nickel matrix with embedded silicon-carbide particles. Its amazing tribological characteristics make Nikasil® the ideal contact surface for pistons and rings; it is therefore used on high-end engine parts to minimize the friction within the engine block. The Nikasil® coating is appropriate for two- and four-stroke aluminium cylinder walls or sleeves and is used in a variety of automotive engines ranging from classic cars to the latest Formula 1 vehicles.

Coating Thickness of Nikasil®

In practical use the cylinder walls or sleeves are electroplated with a layer of Nikasil®, typically between 80 and 180 µm thick. Afterwards, the coating thickness is controlled using the custom-configured table-top FISCHERSCOPE®

MMS® PC2, further outfitted with a NICKELSCOPE® module and the probe ENW3. Overall, this specialized instrument employs the magnetic measurement method (hall effect).

In the next step the cylinder barrels are milled and honed to improve their sliding characteristics. A final coating thickness somewhere in the range of 25 to 50 µm is aimed for, which requires extremely narrow tolerances to be met in the measurement procedure.

Precise Coating Thickness Measurements inside Cylinder Barrels with FISCHERSCOPE®

MMS® PC2

The probe ENW3 is the centrepiece of the measurement system and is used both after the electroplating process as well as after honing. Its angled form helps the user to reach even difficultto-access places.

Measuring inside cylinder barrels or sleeves can also be automated.

To this end, the FISCHERSCOPE® MMS® PC2 can be equipped with a digital I/O module to control up to six probes at once; measurement values are collected and transferred to the instrument simultaneously, making it possible to take multiple measurements with high frequency for quality control purposes in a running production line.

Precise Measurements with the FISCHERSCOPE®

MMS® PC2

For precise thickness measurement of Nikasil® coatings the FISCHERSCOPE® MMS® PC2 – equipped with the NICKELSCOPE® module and the ENW3 probe – is the perfect choice for professional quality monitoring of Nikasil® coatings. Even automated measurements with multiple probes are feasible.

To find out more please contact us at 01386 577370 or visit https://fischerinstrumentation.co.uk