Sliding engine component

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016333489-A1
Application number	US-201515110731-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 8, 2015
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A sliding engine component may include a substrate having a surface coated with a first electroplated metallic layer and a second electroplated metallic layer. The first metallic layer may be disposed between the substrate and the second metallic layer. The first metallic layer and the second metallic layer may have a grained structure. The grained structure of each of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer may have an aspect ratio between a mean grain size perpendicular to the substrate surface and a mean grain size parallel to the substrate surface. The aspect ratio of the second metallic layer may be less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer.

First claim

1 . A sliding engine component comprising:
a substrate having a surface coated with a first electroplated metallic layer and a second electroplated metallic layer, the first metallic layer disposed between the substrate and the second metallic layer, wherein the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer have a grained structure, and the grained structure of each of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer having an aspect ratio between a mean grain size perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and a mean grain size parallel to the surface of the substrate, and wherein the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer is less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer.

2 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer is at least 2:1.

3 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer is at least 4:1.

4 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer is up to 30:1.

5 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the first metallic layer has a substantially columnar grain structure.

6 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer is less than 1.5:1.

7 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein the second metallic layer has a substantially equiaxed grain structure.

8 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , further comprising a third electroplated metallic layer provided between the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer,
wherein third metallic layer has a grained structure having an aspect ratio between the mean grain size perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and the mean grain size parallel to the surface of the substrate, and wherein the aspect ratio of the third metallic layer is less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer and greater than the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer.

9 . The sliding engine component according to claim 8 , wherein the aspect ratio of the third metallic layer is less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer and greater than the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer.

10 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer includes tin.

11 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer is pure tin, apart from incidental impurities.

12 . The sliding engine component according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer is a composite layer including a hard particulate distributed in a metallic matrix.

13 . An engine, comprising: a sliding engine component, the sliding engine component including:
a substrate having a surface including a multi-layer coating, the multi-layer coating including a first electroplated metallic layer and a second electroplated metallic layer, wherein the first metallic layer is disposed between the substrate and the second metallic layer; wherein the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer have a grained structure, and the grained structure of each of the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer having an aspect ratio between a mean grain size perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and a mean grain size parallel to the surface of the substrate, and wherein the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer is less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer; and wherein at least one of:
the grained structure of the first metallic layer is a substantially columnar grain structure; and
the grained structure of the second metallic layer is a substantially equiaxed grain structure.

14 . A method of manufacturing a sliding engine component, comprising:
providing a substrate having a surface as a cathode in an electrolyte including metal ions, depositing a first metallic layer by a first electroplating stage, the first electroplating stage including one of applying a first repeating cycle of bias pulses to the substrate at a first repetition frequency with a first duty cycle and applying a direct current to the substrate, and depositing a second metallic layer by a second electroplating stage, the second electroplating staging including applying a second repeating cycle of bias pulses to a substrate at a second repetition frequency with a second duty cycle of less than 100%, wherein the first metallic layer is disposed between the substrate and the second metallic layer, and wherein the first metallic layer and the second metallic layer have a grained structure, and the grained structure of the first metallic layer and of the second metallic layer has an aspect ratio between a mean grain size perpendicular to the surface of the substrate and a mean grain size parallel to the surface and the substrate, wherein the aspect ratio of the second metallic layer is less than the aspect ratio of the first metallic layer, and wherein when the first electroplating stage includes applying the first repeating cycle of bias pulses, then at least one of the second duty cycle is lower than the first duty cycle and the second repetition frequency is higher than the first repetition frequency.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second duty cycle is lower than the first duty cycle.

16 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first duty cycle is 70 to 100%.

17 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second duty cycle is 10 to 30%.

18 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second repetition frequency is higher than the first repetition frequency.

19 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the first repetition frequency is 0 to 10 Hz.

20 . The method according to claim 14 , wherein the second repetition frequency is 50 to 500 Hz.

21 - 23 . (canceled)

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh
• Mahle Engine Systems Uk Ltd

Inventors

• Gorges Roger
• Carey John
• Rathod Anil

Classifications

• F16C17/02

  for radial load only · CPC title

• C25D3/30 Primary

  of tin · CPC title

• C25D5/18

  Electroplating using modulated, pulsed or reversing current · CPC title

• C25D7/10 Primary

  Bearings · CPC title

• C25D5/617

  Crystalline layers · CPC title