Piston manufacturing process

GROUP MEMBERS MUAAZ ALI BSME01113094 HASEEB ZAHID BSME01113037

PISTON MANUFACTURING
• A Piston is a solid cylinder or disk that fits snugly into a hollow cylinder and moves back
and forth under the pressure of a fluid (typically a hot gas formed by combustion, as in many
engines), moves or compresses a fluid, as in a pump or compressor.
Cycle of a piston • Intake • Compression • Ignition • Power • Exhaust
PARTS OF PISTON • The Crown : is the top surface (closest to the cylinder head) of the
piston which is subjected to tremendous forces and heat during normal engine operation. •
The Ring lands : Are the reliefs cut into the side profile of the piston where the piston rings sit.
• Ring Groove: is a recessed area located around the perimeter of the piston that is used to
retain a piston ring. • Skirt : of a piston is the portion of the piston closest to the crankshaft
that helps align the piston as it moves in the cylinder bore. • Wrist pin boss : is a bore that
connects the small end of the connecting rod to the piston by a wrist pin.
Piston rings • A piston ring is an expandable split ring used to provide a seal between the
piston an the cylinder wall. • Piston rings commonly used include the compression ring, wiper
ring (second compression ring ) , and oil ring. • Compression ring and wiper ring seals the
combustion chamber from any leakage during the combustion process. • The oil ring is used
to distribute and regulate oil within the cylinder wall and help scrape it back into the
crankcase
Material used for manufacturing • Piston material and design contribute to the overall
durability and performance of an engine. • Most pistons are made from cast aluminum alloy. •
Cast aluminum alloy is lightweight and has good structural integrity and low manufacturing
costs. The light weight of aluminum reduces the overall mass and force necessary to initiate
and maintain acceleration of the piston. • Piston rings are generally manufactured from cast
iron or stainless steel .
Piston Manufacturing Process • The pistons are usually manufactured by means of 1)
CASTING (an object made by pouring molten metal or other material into a mould ) 2)
FORGING (Forging is the operation where the metal is heated and then a force is applied to
manipulates the metals in such a way that the required final shape is obtained )
MANUFACTURING BY CASTING 1) FOUNDRY • The foundry is the beginning of the piston.
Ingots of Aluminum are heated in a furnace . • The molten aluminum is poured in a hydraulic
mould . •The material is then scooped up with a ladle from the crucible (the pot that holds the
molten material). The material is then allowed to cool .
2) DEHORNING , HARDENING AND MACHINING • The fresh obtained pistons are
dehorned first by a vertical milling machine • Dehorned pistons are hardened in an oven prior
to machining • Then in a lathe machine , the rough edges are cut and a smooth profile is
obtained by means of a turning operation.
3) CNC LATHE MACHINING • At first the skirt of the piston is finished • After that the
CNC is programmed to a. Cut the ring grooves b. Make an accurate bore diameter c. Finish
the crown
4) 5 axis VMC machining • In this machine the oil slots and pin bore is made
5) GRINDING • This process involves the final size being machined of the piston. The
grinder machines the skirt of the piston only and in the majority of cases is cam ground. Cam
grinding ensures the piston will "grow" evenly in the bore of the engine .
Final Inspection • At this stage the piston is cleaned, fitted with the appropriate wrist pin,
stamped with the pistons oversize and any other markings, and then sent to dispatch.
MANUFACTURING BY FORGING 1 ) THE ROD • The piston begins as a three meter, solid
aluminum rod. The reason aluminum is used is that it's lightweight, rust-proof, and easy to cut.
• A saw then cuts the rod into smaller pieces called slugs.
2) THE PUNCH • A punch press and dye are pre-heated while the slug moves through an
oven, heating it to 426 C° as the punch press. • The slug is then removed from the oven, and
placed into the punch. The press applies 2,000 tons of pressure onto the slug, forging it into
the basic shape of a piston. • This process causes the piston to become so hot, that it needs
an hour to cool
3) The Oven MANUFACTURING BY FORGING • After the forgings cool down, they go
through an oven twice more. The first time is at a higher temperature, to strengthen the metal.
The second time is at a lower temperature to stabilize it. •
4) The Wrist Pin Holes and oil control holes • A large hole is then drilled through both
sides of the piston. This is where the wrist pin will go, attaching the piston to the connecting
rod • Oil control holes are drilled along the
5) Ring Grooves • Three ring grooves are created by a Lathe machine
5) The Milling machine • A milling machine then shaves up to a couple of centimeters off
of each side of the piston where the large holes were drilled for the wrist pin insertion. This is
to reduce the overall weight of the piston. •Another milling machine takes some more metal
off of the area where the three rings were formed earlier, bringing the piston one step closer
to its final form.
5) Grinding • The next step involves grinding of the piston from it’s head to give the crown
the shape required according to the design . A lubricant is used to cool the work piece
continuously.
6) Finishing the Job • Another lathe shaves a few more millimeters off of the top,
allowing the piston to expand when heat builds up inside of it. Then a machine engraves
model and production information. • A human worker then smooths out the sharp edges of
the piston created during production. The holes created for the wrist pin are then put through
a machine which smooths them, allowing the wrist pin to fit comfortably. • Finally, the pistons
sprayed by hot, deionized water, removing any lubricant or oil gathered through the
manufacturing process. After they're dry, they're ready for use
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FORGED AND CAST PISTONS CASTED PISTONS FORGED
PISTONS They are affordable . They are expensive Lighter weight because of the
Aluminum alloy . Mostly used for high speed It is generally used for slow or high rpm’s
Speeds.
QUESTIONS