Machine for breaking a connecting rod

A machine for cracking a connecting rod having a small end and a big end, into a rod part and a cap part, said machine comprising:

• positioning elements for positioning said connecting rod in a position for cracking, wherein said positioning elements include first positioning elements arranged to be applied against the big end of the connecting rod, wherein said first positioning elements comprise two first positioning elements, each of said two first positioning elements being displaceable laterally so as to adjust the position of the first positioning elements to the distance between screw bores of the connecting rod;
• and
• an expandable element comprising two mandrel halves arranged to be separated by displacement of a cleaving wedge, said expandable element arranged to be inserted into a bore in said big end of the connecting rod so as to allow for splitting of said connecting rod into the rod part and the cap part by expanding said expandable element by displacing said cleaving wedge;
• wherein the machine further comprises an electro press with a servomotor for actuating the expandable element by displacing said cleaving wedge, said servomotor being controllable to adapt the displacement of the cleaving wedge, thereby facilitating adaptation of the machine to different kinds of connecting rods for cracking.