Multiple Technologies Ensure Federal-Mogul Powertrain Meets Full Range of Large Bore Engine Piston Ring Requirements

Enabling improved fuel consumption, less lubricant waste and longer service intervals

Burscheid, Germany, 13 July 2016 … Federal-Mogul Powertrain, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML) has an unparalleled range of piston rings for both two-stroke and four-stroke large bore engines (LBE). The ability to offer rings for every type of engine and every fuel used across a multitude of industry sectors gives Federal-Mogul Powertrain market leadership in the LBE arena.

Federal-Mogul Powertrain is represented in the LBE market by the well-known and respected GOETZE®and DAROS®brands; the GOETZE products fit bores from 145 to 640 mm and the DAROS brand spans bores between 260 and 980 mm. The company will be showcasing its range of large piston rings for marine engines this September at SMM, the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine Technology trade show that takes place in Hamburg, Germany.

“Large bore engines of this size can have operating speeds as low as 60rpm and piston stroke exceeding two metres in cross head engines,” commented Gian Maria Olivetti, Chief Technology Officer, Federal-Mogul Powertrain. “LBEs are in use globally in the marine, power generation, railway, construction and defence industries and the wide range of engine types and applications makes ring design extremely challenging; with our exceptional breadth of technological expertise, Federal-Mogul Powertrain is ideally positioned to deliver the solutions that customers demand.”

Designing piston rings to minimise environmental impact and reduce operating costs

Ring design for LBEs is increasingly driven by the desire to minimise environmental impact through reduced oil consumption and pressure to cut operating costs by improving fuel economy and extending TBO (time between overhauls). Federal-Mogul Powertrain satisfies these demands with ring geometries that optimise contact conditions with the cylinder bore, and through the use of wear-resistant materials and coatings that promote longer life. The rings must also function reliably when facing rising combustion temperatures and pressures as engine manufacturers increase efficiency and specific power output, as well as resist the corrosion that can occur because many of the engines operate with heavy fuel oil.

Federal-Mogul Powertrain is also the world’s leading company in the field of negative ovality piston rings, with more than 40 years experience of the technology. Difficult to achieve but highly beneficial, negative ovality reduces the radial ring pressure at the ends of the ring, next to the ring gap. “This is the region most at risk of scuffing due to locally high temperatures from blow-by gases,” said Peter Schmidt, Head of Application Engineering, Large Bore Engine Piston Rings, Federal-Mogul Powertrain. “Negative ovality helps the ring conform evenly to the deformed shape of the hot cylinder liner, reducing oil consumption and wear, in both two-stroke and four-stroke engines.”

Technologies for a range of applications or a specific sector requirement

Federal-Mogul Powertrain’s galvanic coatings, such as GDC®(chrome diamond coating) and CKS®(chrome ceramic coating) may reduce the wear rate of both ring and liner and can be applied in different thicknesses, to match the life required. The company’s range of thermal spray coatings includes plasma; High Velocity Oxy-Fuel (HVOF); and electric arc processes, which gives the company the ability to select the optimum coating for each individual application.

Some of the technologies developed, including many of Federal-Mogul Powertrain’s proprietary galvanic and thermal spray coatings, are appropriate for a wide range of applications; others are directed at specific sectors, such as eWAVE®for two-stroke marine vessels and the LKZ®oil-control ring for four-stroke engines.

Two-stroke engines, which can suffer from uneven distribution of lubricating oil on the cylinder bore surface, necessitating a copious oil supply, much of which is ineffective and contributes to pollution, can benefit from eWAVE technology. The geometry of the eWAVE piston ring creates a circumferential pressure difference that generates controlled oil flow around the bore as the piston reciprocates; this improves the uniformity of the oil film, enabling less oil to provide greater protection. Tests have shown that the eWAVE ring distributes oil over an area 10 times the size of that achieved by conventional ring profiles, reducing wear and brings oil consumption benefits in the region of 20 percent.

A film explaining the features and benefits of eWAVE piston ring technology is available online at: https://youtu.be/H8HtNf2b_S8.

Federal-Mogul Powertrain’s patented LKZ oil control ring, for four-stroke engines, uses a stepped and tapered profile to provide optimal downward scraping action with minimal upward scraping. This allows the ring tension to be reduced, which cuts friction while minimising oil consumption, as Schmidt explained: “Typical piston rings apply equal pressure to the cylinder bore on the downstroke and the upstroke; by providing a greater effect during the downstroke, our LKZ ring is so effective in pulling oil away from the combustion chamber that we are able to reduce ring tension and friction, so improving the fuel efficiency of the engine and at the same time, improving oil consumption.”

Federal-Mogul Powertrain’s range of large piston rings for marine engines will be displayed at SMM, the Shipbuilding, Machinery and Marine technology trade show that will take place in Hamburg, from 6 – 9 September 2016. The company is at Booth 205, in Hall A3.

About Federal-Mogul

Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation (NASDAQ: FDML) is a leading global supplier of products and services to the world’s manufacturers and servicers of vehicles and equipment in the automotive, light, medium and heavy-duty commercial, marine, rail, aerospace, power generation and industrial markets. The company’s products and services enable improved fuel economy, reduced emissions and enhanced vehicle safety.

Federal-Mogul operates two independent business divisions, each with a chief executive officer reporting to Federal-Mogul's Board of Directors.

Federal-Mogul Powertrain designs and manufactures original equipment powertrain components and systems protection products for automotive, heavy-duty, industrial and transport applications.

Federal-Mogul Motorparts sells and distributes a broad portfolio of products through more than 20 of the world’s most recognized brands in the global vehicle aftermarket, while also serving original equipment vehicle manufacturers with products including braking, wipers and a range of chassis components. The company’s aftermarket brands include ANCO®wiper blades; Champion®spark plugs, wipers and filters; AE®, Fel-Pro®, FP Diesel®, Goetze®, Glyco®, Nüral®, Payen®and Sealed Power®engine products; MOOG®chassis components; and Ferodo®, Jurid®and Wagner®brake products.

Federal-Mogul was founded in Detroit in 1899 and maintains its worldwide headquarters in Southfield, Michigan. The Company has more than 53,000 employees globally. For more information, please visit www.federalmogul.com

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