'The nature of the automotive journalist is one of cynicism. Tell us that something's been made stronger, faster, or just generally better, and we'll initially assume that it really hasn't. Snake oil has a way of finding us, and if we don't sniff it out, you berate us.
That's not to say we can't be persuaded to consider the possibility that the wares in question actually do have something to offer. It took Michael Demurjian, vice president of sales and marketing for Mikronite Technologies, only a few minutes to gain our full attention at the latest SEMA bonanza. We were standing in the Crane Cams booth as he explained the Mikronite process and its benefits. That this company has merged with Crane lent credence to his assertions, as did the detail in which he explained it. In short, the Mikronite process is a surface treatment that claims not only significant increases in component strength but also, in some instances, an improvement in efficiency through reduced friction. Naturally, we were intrigued and needed to know more.
What Is Mikronite?
The point Mikronite Technologies stresses the most is that its process is not a coating, nor is it a temperature or chemical treatment. It is referred to as a "mechanical action process," and it could almost be thought of as a sort of hyper shot-peen, though where shot-peening blasts objects directly with relatively large pellets of steel, the Mikronite process uses much finer, lighter media applied with incredibly high force. The generation of that force is part of the proprietary aspect of the Mikronite process, though we probably wouldn't understand it even if the company did reveal the secret. What Mikronite Technologies will say is that centripetal force is one of the key elements to generating the intense pressure required to execute the process. The vague similarity to shot-peening is the resultant surface hardening, though parallels end there. Because the Mikronite process can be finely controlled, the quality and depth of the surface hardening are variable but also more uniform. In addition, the surface finish becomes amazingly smooth, as the process seems to perform a refined polishing function.
Demurjian explained that the media contact the item being treated in more of a sliding or lapping action, rather than as a direct impact. In this way, the media are still able to impart stress in the component's surface, but with more control. The lapping action also produces the highly refined surface that appears polished; the end result is the elimination of stress risers and microscopic voids without actually changing the dimensions of the component. By varying the media and the amount of force used during the process, the depth of treatment and degree of finish refinement can be controlled. Most of the media used are remarkably ordinary and often organic-walnut-shell fragments are a common selection. Demurjian pointed out that the media are usually mixed with different types of abrasives, "thus creating a completely dry, yet fluidized processing environment." It's the level of force generated that makes simple media perform the work of many times their densities; 25-70 g's is not unusual.
Too bad no one will be able to see our Mikronite-treated ring-and-pinion, which now looks as if it's been chromed. The real advantage is in the performance. |
Our Mustang test subject was running Ford Racing 3.55 gears that had been installed years ago. We took it to Westech for a baseline and saw rear-wheel horsepower figures in the 204 range, which is about what we expected for the mostly stock 5.0. |
Metal items that have been treated appear so highly polished that most observers assume they're chrome-plated. They even feel as slick as chrome. But the appearance is really just a by-product of the resulting finish quality. Despite the change, Mikronite said the dimensions remain unaltered. |
To add another aspect to our testing, we had the Westech crew assemble a temperature probe for the rearend. The probe itself is a standard thermocouple from the Superflow; this particular one is usually used in a header tube. The guys drilled and tapped a pipe plug with a male square head to accept the probe and replace the stock fill plug. In between tests, a smaller plug filled the hole in the big one. |