Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Heating a crank web using gas flames before inserting the main journal.
Note the thickness of material around the hole for the journal.
A semi built crankshaft in the lathe. The man gives an idea of the size!
A crankshaft being assembled vertically
Lowering a semi built crankshaft into the bedplate The crankshaft in the bedplate.
THE WELDED CRANKSHAFT
• The welded crankshaft was developed in the 1980s. It was
made up of a series of forgings each comprising of half a
main journal, web, crankpin, second web, and half a main
journal. These forgings were then welded together using a
submerged arc welding process to form the crankshaft.
After welding the journals were stress relieved and
machined. As well as having the advantage of continuous
grain flow, the webs could be made thinner (no shrink fit to
accommodate), leading to a lighter shorter crankshaft.
• Why aren't all crankshafts produced by this method? Cost!
It was very expensive and only about twenty crankshafts
were produced by this method. They have performed very
well in service however.