Automotive Transportation

The industry trend of increasing fuel injection pressures and cylinder operating pressures, and other component modifications designed to improve emissions and fuel economy, will only exacerbate the warranty problems with metal components. Ceradyne’s unique grade of silicon nitride offers engine designers a superior material that is proven to solve these warranty problems.

Ceradyne has developed silicon nitride to a level where valve trains of heavy-duty diesel and gasoline engines, high-pressure common rail fuel pumps, and unit fuel injection systems can operate under conditions where conventional metal parts fail. Ceradyne silicon nitride cam rollers operate at contact stresses of 1.0 to 2.4 GPa (150,000 – 350,000 psi) with no measurable wear to the silicon nitride or the companion metallic components.

Demanding aerospace applications challenge the performance limits of conventional materials. Ceralloy® Silicon Nitride is an excellent material solution based on its high temperature strength, excellent fracture toughness, high hardness and tribological properties. Silicon nitride aerospace applications result in superior mechanical reliability and wear resistance.

Automotive / Transportation elements include:

Bearings, Bushing and Wear Components
Wear components in aircraft engines and hydraulic systems.

Cylindrical Rollers
Cylindrical rollers for hybrid roller bearing applications.

Engine Cam Rollers
Cam rollers for valvetrain applications in heavy-duty diesel and gasoline engines.

Fuel Pump Rollers
Components and rollers for high pressure fuel pumps for heavy and light duty diesel engines.

Jet Engine Igniter Insulators
Used where aluminum oxide insulators fail.

Ceradyne also supplies prototype engine components for various R&D programs that further demonstrate the breadth of silicon nitride applications in the automotive / transportation industry.