In the past 5 years, polymer coatings in the engine performance industry have become very popular. The use of polymer coatings has been widespread, not only in engine bearings, but also in pistons, cylinder heads, bolts, and other engine components that operate in heated and pressurized environments.
King Engine Bearings has always been at the forefront of polymer coating technology, and under the leadership of Dr. Dmitri Kopeliovich, research and development work has been carried out to expand its range of polymer coating materials. The result is the creation of various solutions for different types of challenges, each of which is tailored to unique engine characteristics.
The polymer coating was developed to protect the bearing from seizure caused by lack of oil and metal-to-metal contact. Various friction and wear conditions determine the need for different methods. MC bearings were developed to deal with metal-to-metal contact in start/stop engines. Due to the nature of running in such engines, these require wear-resistant coatings that can withstand various conditions. The MC engine bearing is an example of a polymer coating invented to solve this specific problem. The MC polymer coating is specifically designed to be applied to bimetallic reinforced aluminum as part of the bearing manufacturing process and used as an additional protective layer.
In the racing and high-performance world, there are many engines that are in strong demand and can generate loads in excess of 15,000 psi. King established GPC series bearings to solve this extreme load. GPC bearings are used in Sprint cars, Diesel Performance and various European engines, such as BMW's S65, S85, S63 and other applications. It consists of a lead bronze layer on steel, a silver-based covering layer containing solid lubricant particles, and a polymer coating.
King's outstanding and largest product series leader is the XPC series using pMaxKote™ polymer composite materials. It has become a leader in the industry and is sought after by high-performance engine manufacturers and racing enthusiasts. pMaxKote is specially designed to be applied to the XP series three-metal structure without changing the original wall thickness of the bearing. You can find XPC in almost all of King's product lines.
King recently launched the latest polymer-coated bearings called the TFC series. TFC series bearings are suitable for top fuel and professional modified drag racing applications ranging from 3,000 to 10,000 horsepower. When extreme loads squeeze the oil film, the polymer coating helps the bearing survive.
All polymer coatings developed by King are applied in the factory and are formulated to be applied to various existing bearing materials, such as MC aluminum, XPC babbitt alloy, GPC silver matrix and TFC babbitt alloy bearings.
King Bearings' ongoing R&D and manufacturing work continues to produce more reliable engine bearings for all types of applications, thereby reducing wear and extending service life.
This article is sponsored by King Engine Bearings. For more information, please visit our website www.kingracebearings.com.
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