Tool Solutions Optimized Processing for Crankshaft and Valve Seats

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MAPAL Fabrik für Präzisionswerkzeuge Dr. Kress KG

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

Wuxi InfiMotion Technology Co., Ltd.

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

The development of combustion engines continues despite the clear trend toward e-mobility. Therefore, efforts to find optimization opportunities persist, supported by Mapal with new tool solutions.

The automotive industry consistently focuses on faster cycle times and lower costs per component. With two examples from crankshaft production and valve seat machining, Mapal demonstrates how this can be achieved through the combination of machining steps and innovative tool technologies.

One-Shot Solution for Drilling And Deburring

The desire to save weight in order to reduce fuel consumption with less moving mass does not stop at a classic component like the crankshaft. To remove material, a central relief bore runs through the entire component. Due to the shape of the crankshaft, machining results in repeated entries and exits of the tool into the material. How many there are depends on the number of cylinders in the engine.

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The length of the drill is also determined accordingly. To machine the entire crankshaft in a single pass, tools with lengths between 24 and 32 inches are required. Mapal achieves this with a modular system. The drill body is a special interchangeable head holder with a TTS interface (Torque Transfer System), which guarantees an extremely stable connection. The Mapal interface is characterized by optimal torque transmission as well as high exchange and concentricity accuracies. For the desired tool length, the holder is screwed onto an extension. The TTD interchangeable drill head at the tip is available in various geometric designs depending on machine performance.

A challenge during machining is the burrs that form when the drill enters and exits the metal. Previously, these burrs were removed in a separate operation. Mapal now offers a one-shot solution for simultaneous drilling and deburring. This is made possible by a modular combination tool in which an additional chamfering cutting edge is integrated into the chamfer behind the drill head. This SNAP18 module is a miniaturized deburring system that has been individually designed by Heule Precision Tools. For process-reliable forward and backward deburring, a small spring controls the cutting edge and ensures that the pre-drilled diameter is chamfered with tenth-millimeter precision and not damaged by deburring.

With this tool solution, the user saves a work step and thus a tool slot in the magazine. The cycle time is reduced.

Twelve Cutting Edges for Valve Seats

To reduce costs in the fine machining of valve seats, Mapal has developed an innovative HNHX indexable insert. Like its predecessor, the HNHX is hexagonal but features twelve usable cutting edges instead of the previous six. The negative installation position allows this new insert to be flipped. A modified clamping star ensures maximum clamping force and precise positioning in the insert seat. For the final machining of the valve seat ring, highly precise machining is required both in terms of the specified tolerances and surface quality. With the HNHX, surface values of less than Ra 2.0 are achieved.

Mapal recommends a combination tool for machining valve seats and valve guides. In a single operation, the tool first machines the valve guide and finally the valve seat with the HNHX cutting insert.

Further Efficiency Increase Possible With Larger Valve Seat Rings

Depending on the valve seat design, the HNHX cutting inserts can be used significantly more than twelve times. Where structurally possible, such as with larger valve seat rings in the truck sector, each of these cutting edges can be used twice, making 24 cutting edges available. This is achieved by removing the insert at the end of its service life and reinserting it in a different angular position. The used cutting edges are easily identifiable for the user thanks to a corresponding coating. This allows for uncomplicated repositioning in another insert seat and continued work with an unused section of the cutting edge.

A doubling of the number of cutting edges directly impacts production costs for users: the cost per part is halved as a result. Additionally, there is a gain in tool life due to the use of PcBN high-performance cutting materials, which are developed within the Mapal Group. The cutting materials are tailored to industry developments aimed at making valve seat rings even more wear-resistant through the use of new materials. The robust clamping system results in maximum clamping force and thus a homogeneous force distribution in the insert seat.

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