U.S. Chrome Treatment Ensures Long Life for DiMora Motorcar’s 1200-Horsepower Engine

April 9, 2008 - PRLog -- Fond du Lac, WI, – U.S. Chrome Corporation of Wisconsin, a division of U.S. Chrome, will use its proprietary NiCom® metal-ceramic coating process to harden the aluminum cylinders of the DiMora Volcano V16 engine, the powerplant used in the $2 Million Natalia SLS 2 sport luxury sedan.

Aluminum engine blocks are much lighter than cast iron engine blocks, reducing the overall weight of an automobile. To make a cylinder wear as well as iron, the conventional solution is to insert an iron sleeve in the cylinder. This adds weight to the engine and interferes with heat dissipation.

The NiCom® process developed by U.S. Chrome produces a nickel metal matrix with silicon carbide (SiC) particles dispersed throughout. SiC is one of the hardest substances known, providing a surface that will not be worn down by piston rings.

“The Volcano V16 is raising the bar for what to expect from a high performance engine,” said Alfred DiMora, CEO of DiMora Motorcar. “The NiCom® process allows us to have high cylinder pressures, tight ring seals, long seal longevity, and great heat transfer, without adding excessive weight. We need the best process, and this is it.”  

“We have been redefining what is possible with performance coatings for over 60 years,” said Scott Reath, General Manager of U.S. Chrome of Wisconsin. “This technology has been tested in the performance racing industry on land and sea. The cylinders we have processed are in countless racecars and in every Mercury Marine V6 racing engine produced worldwide. We know our process will improve the power and longevity of the DiMora Volcano V16.”

“The DiMora Volcano V16 is an exceptionally powerful engine. We must not waste that power through excessive cylinder friction or heat buildup,” said DiMora. “Once again, the right solution is available from a great American company that continues to innovate in a key industry. We are proud to welcome U.S. Chrome as the latest Technology Partner to add its capabilities to the Natalia project.”

About DiMora Motorcar
Based in Palm Springs, California, DiMora Motorcar crafts automobiles designed to exceed expectations for safety, performance, technology, ecology, beauty, comfort, and luxury. We are the first to reveal the design, production, and testing of our automobiles via the Internet so that people around the world can participate in—and learn about—the process.

The founder, CEO, and driving force behind DiMora Motorcar, Alfred J. DiMora, produced two of America's finest luxury automobiles, the Clenet (as owner) and the Sceptre (as co-founder). When President Reagan declared 1986 the Centennial Year of the Gasoline-Powered Automobile, Mr. DiMora's Clenet was selected as the Official Centennial Car. As a result, he and the Clenet were honored at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Michigan. He also founded Starbridge Systems, Inc., where he developed the FPGA supercomputer. Using his technological and automotive backgrounds, Alfred DiMora blends the two worlds together to create this new experience in automotive history, the Natalia SLS 2. For more information about our products and how your company can become a Technology Partner of DiMora Motorcar, please visit www.dimoramotorcar.com.

# # #

About U.S. Chrome
With corporate offices in Connecticut and plants in Illinois, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, U.S. Chrome has been in the plating business since 1946. It was the first company in the world to successfully electroplate onto aluminum substrates. It has plated and diamond-honed well over 1,000,000 engine block cylinders at its Wisconsin plant since 1979.  please visit www.uschrome.com or http://www.usnicom.com.

Website: www.dimoramotorcar.com