Coatings reduce automotive friction

A Bekaert Advanced Coatings product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Nov 20, 2006

Bekaert provided the coated elements for the Bekaert Energy 4 car that participated in the Eco Marathon.

Bekaert provided the coated elements for the Bekaert Energy 4 car that participated in the Eco Marathon to encourage students to keep searching for the perfect combination of innovative design and environmentally friendly technology.

The Eco Marathon is an educational project providing the best of Europe's young scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs a forum to explore and face the challenge of sustainable mobility in getting the best from today's energy resources, allowing them to develop innovative ideas to power the transport of tomorrow.

The Eco Marathon is a yearly race that takes place at the Nogaro Paul Armagnac Circuit, which is situated in Gers, France.

Bekaert choose to support Lieven Defauw, from the Hogeschool Gent.

Defauw participated for the very first time and did a great job, although he was not able to get a place in the ranking.

"In this race, participating is much more important than winning", he said.

"It is a great way of showing the critics that a lot of companies and schools are not only interested in the financial advantages of developing new technologies, but also in finding more optimal and cost-saving solutions for the current means of transportation that are not environmentally friendly".

After the Eco Marathon in Gers, the Energy 4 car also went on to the Eco Marathon circuit in Rockingham (UK) and Nokia (Finland).

During this last race, the team put down a new Belgian record in the pure vegetal oil class.

"The Energy 4 car can easily drive 627km on only 1 litre of pure colza oil".

"We are very proud of our accomplishment and very thankful for all the support we received from our sponsors".

For Bekaert, the Eco Marathon is the perfect platform to illustrate that innovation of technology and preservation of environment can coexist and benefit from one another.

Lieven Defauw can only agree: "It is great for us, youngsters, to see that the current companies active in automotive industry are willing to invest in our ideas and attempts to make the difference".

"And I am not only talking about financial support, we can also learn a lot from their experience and knowhow in our attempts to emulate them".

Bekaert offers an extended list of innovative products to the automotive market.

Building on Sorevi's success in the racing engine market - Sorevi is famous for its Cavidur coatings for racing engine applications in Formula 1, Nascar and rallying, and was purchased by Bekaert in 2005 - and Bekaert's engineering capabilities for high-volume automotive products, Bekaert recently launched a new range of Dylyn Plus coatings for the wider automotive market.

Dylyn Plus coats several components in consumer engines, in order to improve motor weariness and reduce the friction within the motor, thus extending the life cycle of various engine parts.

Thanks to its experience in the racing market and their continuous investment, the company has recently managed to reduce regular engine friction by 30% according to the latest bench testing report.

This success motivates Bekaert in its goal to achieve an even more environmentally friendly and innovative technology.