A machine having one or more cylinders, each cylinder having an inner surface configured to engage a circumferential surface of a piston ring of a piston thereby defining a contact zone between the inner surface of the cylinder and the circumferential surface of the piston ring, the inner surface having at least one recess indented into the inner surface, wherein the ratio of the dimension of the recess in the direction of travel of the piston to the dimension of the contact zone in the direction of travel of the piston is in the range of approximately 1:5 to 3:5.