A crankpin is an integral component of the crank of a crankshaft and the associated rod attached to the shaft. Crankpins in engines are designed to meet the high demands of industrial engines as well as other commercial engines with their reliability and low-cost manufacturing.
The intense and persistent work required of these pins means they are subject to shock and fatigue loads that will eventually lead to part failure if not maintained. This is where our on-site machining service comes in. Read on to explore why this service is so beneficial for a broad range of industries.
There are many crankpin designs created to suit a variety of applications; while the most common application is in road vehicle engines, there are hundreds of industrial, marine, and renewable applications that need working crankpins. Here are the two main designs based on the oil hole configuration.
A common factor across all designs is that the pin itself transfers vertical motion between the shaft and the rod, and the larger end of the connecting rod is fastened to the crankpin of the shaft with a bearing. A standard connecting rod will have two-piece crankpin bearings for connecting the end of the rod to the crankpin in a crankshaft.
Our expert engineers have spent decades carrying out effective crankpin machining and grinding for any engine design; for example, we often work with the following:
Due to the unique nature of the repair operations we carry out, we have developed a broad and comprehensive selection of processes to ensure the effectiveness of our work in any situation. We tailor our services to make sure they will be the most effective for the situation, and there are three common steps across all of them: assessment, machining, and finishing.
After an assessment to accurately identify the source of the pin and wider crankshaft failure, we will establish a machining plan to address the problem efficiently. Depending on the situation, whether it’s maintenance or replacement, this could be exploratory grinding, crack detection, a simple calibration or many other assessment tools to diagnose the issue.
Our team uses our purpose-built orbital machining equipment to machine the diameter of the crankpin to remove the identified damage and wear and return OEM-specified tolerances related to the journal diameter, oil holes and radii.
For example, one of the broadest solutions we’ve found that is effective is machining the pin journal with a single-point tool attachment, while another would be to grind the pin’s journal diameter with our unique grinding machine. Both of these example options result in extremely accurate results and allow the finishing to start.
Known as Superfinishing, this specialist finishing process is conducted by a machine that is equipped with a carborundum stone that oscillates from side to side at over 6000 RPM around the journal. The result is the surface is flattened and has an improved surface finish. Additional polishing will also be conducted if the parts OEM requires it.
We have chosen the name ‘In-Situ Machining Solutions’ because of our deep trust in the beneficial results of on-site (or In-situ) machine repair services for businesses. With industrial facilities generally located in remote locations, emergency repairs will be a long, drawn-out process that generates significant downtime. This is due to the flaws in the standard repair process where engine parts are taken away to be fixed and then returned. This is unnecessary as it does little except extend the downtime of your engine and lower productivity.
We have developed a far better improvement to this common standard with our on-site machining services. We have developed our own engine-boring machines, line-boring machines and other effective tools designed to be transported anywhere in the world by our engineers and used at your location. They are highly skilled at working in hazardous environments and are familiar with the required workplace safety measures whilst they carry out their repairs.
This has the opposite effect of the common solution and reduces downtime and disruptions at your business immensely. As our engineers conduct their work on the engine in question, parts are conveniently replaced or machined and installed quickly without having to leave and return. This then enables you to re-integrate your new, improved engine into your daily operations much faster and return to productivity.
If you're looking for our in-situ machining services you can count on, contact us. We are passionate about every project we complete and strive not only to follow but also to set new and improved industry standards for efficient and reliable crankpin machining.
