Construction Materials for Marine Diesel Engines

Engine Parts
1. Bed Plate:
The bed plate provides the rigid seating of the crankshaft,
which is absolutely essential for satisfactory engine
operation. The bed plate is constructed of a deep
longitudinal girder (running along the length of engine)
and transverse girder or cross girder (running across the
engine). The transverse and longitudinal girders are
joined together by welding.
They are made up of:

Transverse Girder - Cast iron

Longitudinal Girder - Mild steel

2. Frame:
Frames are provided for supporting the engine
mountings, and an individual frame is fitted to each cross
girder. Frames are made up of Mild Steel
Plates and Tubes.
3. Holding Down:
The engine bed plate is supported on a series of chocks
made up of Cast Steel / Epoxy Resin and the holding
down bolts passes through the bed plate, chock, and tank
top plating made up of UTS Steel.
4. Guide:
Guides are provided in the cross head assembly. They
have two main parts, and they are made up of the
following materials:

Guide Bar -Mild Steel / Cast Iron

Guide shoe- White Metal Lined

Engine Parts

5. Cylinder Parts:
Cylinder Liner:
Material: Pearlitic Grey Cast Iron
Properties of Cylinder Liner Material:
1. Material for liners must provide adequate strength and
fatigue life.
2. Resist abrasion and corrosion and must readily transfer
heat.
3. Be able to retain a film of lubricating oil on working
surfaces.
4. Have a rate of thermal expansion compatible with
adjacent parts.
To meet these requirements, liners are cast in
pearlitic grey cast irons to which alloying elements such
as vanadium and titanium are added to enhance
strength, wear, and corrosion resistance. Chrome plated
liners have extended life, but the initial cost is higher.
Chrome plated piston ring must not be used with
chromium plated liners.
Cylinder cover:
Material: Pearlitic or Nodular Graphite cast Iron / Cast
Steel.
Properties:
5. Must be of sufficient strength to withstand the gas load
at maximum pressure.

6. Resist bending and be symmetrical in shape.

7. Have a rate of thermal expansion compatible with
adjacent parts and transfer heat readily.
Cylinder head bolt- High UTS Steel
Tie bolt - High UTS Steel
2 6. Piston Parts:
Piston has different parts and they are made up of
following materials:
Piston:

Piston crown - Chrome Molybdenum Steel /

Nickel Chrome Steel

Piston Skirt - Cast Iron

Piston Rings - Cast Iron / Ordinary Grey Cast Iron

Piston Rod - Cast Steel

Wear Ring - (Lead-Bronze)

Materials used for piston required similar properties to
those for cylinder liners and cylinder covers.
Properties of Piston Crown material:
1.
High mechanical strength to withstand high gas
load.
2.
Long fatigue life to survive the fluctuating
mechanical and thermal stress.
3.
High thermal conductivity and low co-efficient of
expansion.
4.
High surface property i.e. hardness, anticorrosive.
5.
The metal must resist high temperature creep,
corrosion and erosion.
Properties of Piston Ring material:
6.
Highly mechanical strength and good tension
properties.
7.
Elasticity and wear resistance with low-friction.

8.
9.

Must be corrosion resistance with low- friction.

Must be corrosion resistance and resistance
against high temperature.
10.
Self lubricating properties.
11.
Must readily transfer heat and compatible with
cylinder material.
12.
Compatible with piston for thermal expansion to
maintain ring groove clearances.
2 Piston

3 7. Crankshaft
Materials: These are some of the commonly used
materials to build the crank shaft.

Low alloyed Cr Mo steel which has tensile

strength (590-680) N/mm2

Unalloyed Carbon Steel (Normalized).

Mild Steel (Cast throw).

Carbon Steel (forged or cast).

Nickel steel (forged).

Properties of Crank Shaft materials:
1.
Besides strength, the material should have a
high endurance limit to fatigue failure.
2.
The material should be capable of good surface
finish.
3.
Must be hardened to resist wear of journals and
crank pins.
4.
Must be tough to carry load.
5.
Must be rigid to resist bending of the shafts.

6.

But it should confirm bearing line alignment.

2 8. Exhaust Valve
8. Exhaust Valve
The exhaust valves are made up of following materials:
Exhaust valve:

Spindle - Nimonic Material

Lid - Nimonic Material

Seat - Stellite Material

Cage - Pearlitic Cast Iron

Guide - Pearlitic Cast Iron

Bush - Bronze
9. Stuffing Box

Upper Rings - Bronze Alloy

Lower Rings - Cast Iron Alloy

10. Camshaft- Steel Alloy with Hardened surface
11. Connecting rod bolt- High UTS Alloy Steel
12. Bearing- White metal Alloy