CNC lathes play an important role in the processing of automotive parts. This is mainly reflected in three aspects: guarantee of high-precision processing; a tool to improve production efficiency and ensure the stability of product quality.
Next, Shanghai ANTISHICNC engineers will introduce you to the main processable automotive parts:
| Item | Content | |
| Shaft parts | Crankshaft | It is one of the most important parts in the engine. CNC lathes can accurately process the main journal and connecting rod journal of the crankshaft to ensure its dimensional accuracy and surface roughness. For example, in the crankshaft processing of a four-stroke engine, through the precise control of the CNC lathe, the diameter tolerance of each journal can be controlled within a very small range, generally around ±0.01mm, thereby ensuring the engine’s power output is stable and reducing vibration and noise. |
| Camshaft | For the valve train of a car engine, the accuracy of the camshaft directly affects the opening and closing time and lift of the valve. CNC lathes can process the journals and cam profiles on the camshaft. Its processing accuracy is crucial to ensure the intake efficiency and combustion efficiency of the engine. In the processing of camshafts for high-performance engines, CNC lathes can control the processing accuracy of the cam profile within ±0.02mm, which helps to improve the power and torque output of the engine. | |
| Half shaft | The half shaft is a key component in the automobile transmission system, which transmits the power of the differential to the wheels. CNC lathes can process the outer surface of the half shaft, the spline part, etc. When processing the outer circle of the half shaft, the cylindrical error can be guaranteed to be within ±0.005mm to ensure the stability of the half shaft during high-speed rotation and prevent shaking, thereby improving the safety and comfort of automobile driving. | |
| Disc parts | Brake disc | The brake disc is the core component of the automobile braking system. CNC lathes can perform precision machining on the two friction surfaces of the brake disc to ensure its flatness and surface roughness. High-quality brake disc machining requires a flatness of ±0.02mm or less, so that during the braking process, the brake pad and the brake disc can fully and evenly contact, effectively improving the braking efficiency and reducing the braking distance. At the same time, CNC lathes can also process the mounting holes and ventilation slots of the brake disc to ensure its installation accuracy and heat dissipation performance. |
| Wheels | The wheel hub not only bears the weight of the car, but also bears various forces during the driving process of the vehicle. CNC lathes are used to process the mounting shaft hole of the wheel hub, the outer circle and inner circle of the rim, etc. When processing high-end automobile wheels, the dimensional accuracy is extremely high. For example, the diameter tolerance of the shaft hole of the wheel hub can be controlled within ±0.015mm to ensure the close fit between the wheel hub and the axle, prevent looseness, and improve the driving stability of the vehicle. | |
| Flange | In the transmission and suspension systems of automobiles, flanges are used to connect different components. CNC lathes can accurately process the connection planes, bolt holes, etc. of flanges. The flatness of the processed flange connection plane is generally required to be within ±0.03mm, which can ensure the tightness and reliability of the connection and prevent looseness or leakage between components. | |
| Parts inside the kit | Piston rings | The piston ring is installed on the piston to seal the cylinder, control oil and conduct heat. The CNC lathe can process the outer and inner surfaces of the piston ring. During the processing, the outer cylindricality of the piston ring can be controlled within ±0.003mm, and the matching accuracy of the inner circle and the piston can also reach a very high level, thereby ensuring the good sealing performance of the piston ring in the cylinder, reducing the leakage of the engine, and improving fuel economy. |
| Steering knuckle bushing | Steering knuckle bushings are used in the steering system of automobiles to reduce the friction between the knuckle and other components. CNC lathes can process the inner and outer circles of the bushings to a coaxiality within ±0.01mm, ensuring the flexibility and stability of steering and improving the reliability and safety of the automobile steering system. | |
Recently, Shanghai ANTS Machine Equipment Co., Ltd. successfully received a terminal customer from Qatar, an automobile parts manufacturer. The customer needs to purchase a CNC lathe to process the crankshaft of the automobile engine. According to the customer’s description, the length of the crankshaft is 400mm and the approximate diameter is 200mm.
According to the customer’s needs, ANTISHICNC engineers successfully matched a CNC lathe-CK6140/500 for the customer, with a rotation diameter of 400mm on the bed. The diameter of the pallet is 240mm, and the center distance is 550mm.
The following are the basic parameters of CK6140/550:
| Basic parameters | Unit | CK6140/550 |
| Maximum rotation diameter on the bed | mm | Φ400 |
| Guide span in X direction | mm | 180 |
| Guide span in Z direction | mm | 330 |
| Maximum rotation diameter on the slide | mm | Φ240 |
| Top spacing | mm | 550 |
| Maximum disc processing diameter | mm | 400 |
| Maximum turning length | mm | 420 |
Next, the engineers of ANTS will introduce you to the general process of machining automobile engine crankshafts in detail:
1.Blank preparation:
Select suitable metal materials (such as medium carbon steel or medium carbon alloy steel) and obtain crankshaft blanks through forging and other methods. Ensure the quality of the materials and reserve processing allowance.
2.Clamping and tool preparation:
Clamp the crankshaft blank on the CNC lathe with a suitable fixture (such as a three-jaw chuck or a special fixture) to ensure that the crankshaft axis coincides with the lathe spindle axis. – Select a suitable tool (such as a carbide tool) and install it correctly so that the tool tip is at the same height as the lathe spindle axis.
3.Rough machining:
Rough the main journal and connecting rod journal, and use a larger cutting depth (2 – 3mm) and feed rate (0.3 – 0.5mm/r) to remove the allowance. – Rough machining of the outer circle and end face, pay attention to ensuring the cylindricity and verticality, the cylindricity error is controlled within 0.05 – 0.1mm, and the verticality error is controlled within 0.03 – 0.05mm.
4.Semi-finishing:
Semi-finishing of the journal, reduce the cutting depth (0.5 – 1mm) and feed rate (0.1 – 0.2mm/r), and accurately process the transition radius and other contours. – Semi-finishing of the outer circle and end face, improve the shape accuracy and surface roughness, the outer circle surface roughness reaches Ra3.2 – Ra6.3μm.
5.Finishing:
The finishing of the journal adopts a small cutting depth (0.1 – 0.3mm) and feed rate (0.05 – 0.1mm/r) to ensure that the journal surface roughness reaches Ra0.8 – Ra1.6μm, and the dimensional accuracy is controlled within ±0.01 -±0.02mm. – Finish the outer circle and end face, so that the outer circle cylindricality is controlled within 0.005-0.01mm, and the verticality between the end face and the axis is controlled within 0.01-0.02mm.
6.Surface treatment and inspection:
Perform surface treatment, such as quenching, nitriding and other heat treatment or grinding, polishing and other finishing processing. – Comprehensively inspect the crankshaft, including dimensional accuracy, shape accuracy and surface quality, and repair or scrap unqualified products.
If you have any questions, please contact Shanghai ANTS Machine Equipment Co., Ltd. through our website information. Engineers will match you with efficient machine tools and professional services.
Keywords: CNC machine tools, CNC lathes, CNC lathe processing automobile engine crankshafts
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