US 10,821,527 B2 · Method of manufacturing a crankshaft

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a crankshaft includes the steps of: (1) forming a crankshaft blank via a first half and a second half; (2) measuring a plurality of surface variations between a predetermined surface in a first region and a corresponding predetermined surface in a second region of the crankshaft blank; (3) calculating centering offset data based on the plurality of surface variations; (4) machining a pair center holes based on the centering offset data; (5) machining a counterweight and a journal relative to the pair of center holes to produce a partially machined crankshaft; (5) milling and grinding the partially machined crankshaft to produce a finished machined crankshaft; and (6) rotating the finished machined crankshaft typically on the outermost main journals in a final balancing machine and then modifying the counterweights to eliminate undesirable vibration generated during the rotation and engine operation.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of manufacturing a crankshaft comprising the steps of:

forming a crankshaft blank via a first half and a second half or a first casting half and a second casting half;
measuring a plurality of surface variations between a first region and a second region of the crankshaft blank in a measuring-cutting fixture while maintaining the crankshaft blank in a fixed position;
calculating centering offset data based on the plurality of surface variations;
machining a pair of center holes based on the centering offset data;
machining a plurality of arms, counterweights and journals relative to the center holes to produce a partially machined crankshaft;
milling and grinding the partially machined crankshaft to produce a finished machined crankshaft;
and
rotating the machined crankshaft and then modifying the counterweights to reduce undesirable vibration.

5 more elements

A method of manufacturing a crankshaft comprising the steps of:

providing a crankshaft blank formed by a first half and a second half;
measuring and machining the crankshaft blank in a measuring-cutting fixture to produce mass centering without a separate machine including measuring a variation between a predetermined surface in a first region formed by the first half to a corresponding predetermined surface in a second region formed by the second half with the first region being integral to the second region at a parting line, calculating centering offset data based on the variation between the predetermined surface in the first region to the corresponding predetermined surface in the second region, machining a pair of center holes based on the centering offset data, and then subsequently machining a plurality of journals, arms and counterweights relative to the pair of center holes;
transferring the machined crankshaft from the measuring-cutting fixture to at least one of a milling machine and a grinding machine to produce a finished machined crankshaft;
transferring the finished machined crankshaft to a final balancing machine;
and
rotating the machined crankshaft in the final balancing machine and modifying the counterweights based on a data output from the machined crankshaft to produce a balanced crankshaft.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method of manufacturing a crankshaft

Life of this patent

Method of manufacturing a crankshaft

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13