Reduced wear and friction losses by DLC coating of piston pins

Diamond like carbon (DLC) coatings are well known to offer superior friction and wear behaviour. To evaluate the potential of DLC coatings applied to piston pins in internal combustion engines, linearly reciprocating sliding wear examinations have been performed on uncoated and DLC coated piston pin sections against different counterpart materials. The tests have been investigated with respect to friction and wear performance of typical pin - piston material combinations. The results show enormous potential of DLC coatings to reduce wear and friction for the different counterpart materials. Examined engine tests confirm the results of the non-engine wear test rig, showing that the specific engine output increases and the fuel consumption decreases if DLC coatings are applied to the piston pins.