Powertrain parts supplier Federal-Mogul Corp. has acquired a privately held manufacturer of piston rings for large-bore engines used in industrial energy generation (e,g., wind turbines), and power generation in container vessels, super tankers and bulk carriers. The Daros Group produces the cast iron rings at plants in China, Germany, and Sweden.
The terms of the acquisition were not released.
"The global market for industrial, large-bore piston rings is a strategic opportunity for Federal-Mogul," according Rainer Jueckstock, senior v.p., Powertrain Energy Business Unit. "We intend to invest in this market to offer technology and service to support all-new industrial engine programs and the recurring maintenance requirements of our global customers.”
Piston rings seal an engine’s combustion chamber while the piston moves up and down inside the cylinder. Also, piston-ring helps to transfer heat out of the combustion-chamber and to distribute lubricants to the cylinder wall to allow for smooth and efficient operation in demanding conditions involving multi-year duty cycles.
The Daros piston rings vary in diameters from approximately 5.7 in. (145 mm) to 38.6 in. (980 mm), for engines with a power output over 100,000 kW (136,000 hp). The cast components are machined with complex geometries and finished with highly wear-resistant coatings like plasma-sprayed metal-oxides and chrome-ceramics.
Federal-Mogul supplies powertrain and safety technologies for automotive, light commercial, heavy-duty, agricultural, marine, rail, off-road and industrial vehicle OEMs.
The company said the Daros Group will enhance its global position in the industrial piston rings market by creating a portfolio high-tech products for two-stroke and four-stroke engines.
"The market for industrial engine piston rings is growing, as global energy companies and expanding global logistics providers require additional power generation and shipping capacity,” explained Federal-Mogul president and CEO Jose Maria Alapont. "This acquisition also will enable Federal-Mogul to capitalize on new market growth utilizing integrated global engineering and manufacturing capacity."