Product category:
Abrasive machining - manual and CNC machines
News Release from: Toyoda Mitsui Europe UK | Subject: Crankshaft and camshaft grinding machines
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 23 October 2003
Triumph goes back to machinery supplier
With the help of Toyoda Mitsui Europe, UK, British motorcycle manufacturer, Triumph, has maintained expected levels of production following the fire at its factory in Hinckley.
With the help of Toyoda Mitsui Europe, UK, British motorcycle manufacturer, Triumph, has maintained expected levels of production following the fire at its factory in Hinckley last year (2002) The company decided to return to the supplier of the original grinders in the early 1990s for much of the latest plant and as a result, Toyoda crankshaft and camshaft grinding machines and a machining centre from the same supplier have been installed at the new engine manufacturing facility
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 14 Jul 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Noteworthy is the flexibility of the machines to produce smaller batches economically, as well as the ease with which they can be adapted to produce shafts for future motorcycle models, which are being introduced in ever shorter time scales these days.
Installed in December 2002, four Toyoda crankshaft grinders work alongside the original equipment relocated from the former factory site, which is now devoted to motorcycle assembly.
Of considerably more modern specification, the latest line is linked by a roller conveyor from where parts are successively handled manually into each machine tool, operations taking between three and four minutes.
Further reading
HMC developed for mould and die work
Spindle speed options up to 40,000 rpm and cutting feed rates up to 30 m/min are notable features of the new Toyoda FH63M horizontal machining centre developed for mould and die machining.
M-C designed for mould and die machining
During a recent Open House, Toyoda Machinery and Engineering Europe demonstrated its FH63M machining centre, which is purpose-built for mould and die work.
Five axis MC optimised for mould and die work
High precision, rigidity and full five-axis interpolating capability are features of a machining centre optimised for mould and die, aerospace and complex surface machining work.
The sequence starts with facing and centring of the special plasma nitriding steel forging, followed by turning of both ends, milling of the main bearings and pins, oil hole drilling, in some cases stress relieving and/or splining, then milling of keyways and other end features.
The first Toyoda grinder is a GL6-P straight-approach model equipped with a single, aluminium oxide wheel for full-form plunging the main bearing diameters, radii and a thrust feature.
There are eight basic varieties of crankshaft for 2-, 3- and 4-cylinder engines.
A wheel is side-dressed to suit each crank variant, so speed of changeover between batches is crucial to maintaining productivity.
Mark Reynolds, producti on engineer at Triumph, confirms that it now takes only 1.5 hours to fit a new grinding wheel and flange assembly plus work rests, loading aids and gauging equipment, compared with 4 hours for the older equivalent Toyoda machine.
Drawing tolerance is +/- 8 microns, although the GL6-P only moves a maximum of +/- 2 microns over a 24-hour period, so in practice it is never necessary to adjust the machine.
The next two grinders are Toyoda GL4 angle-approach models that perform operations at either end of the shaft; first grinding the OD and sprocket location face at the spigot end, then a diameter and adjacent face for subsequently pressing on a gear; after which the second GL4 grinds a 4:1 taper at the other end and sometimes a bearing diameter as well.
A GV70 pin grinder is the last Toyoda machine in the crankshaft line.
It is able to cope with stroke lengths from 20.65 mm to 35.00 mm, allowing all existing shafts to be machined.
The machine similarly accommodates different crank lengths and varieties for 2-, 3- and 4-cylinder engines.
Again, +/- 8 microns is the drawing tolerance, although one quarter of this is routinely held.
Completion of crankshaft machining involves gear hobbing or shaving, a wash/deburr operation, dynamic balancing, plasma nitride hardening, polishing and gauging.
Toyoda supplied a lot of optional, peripheral equipment as part of the turnkey machine packages.
For example, the first three machines have programmable tailstocks; and the main bearing and pin grinders have mechanical arms to assist manual loading and unloading of the cranks, which can weigh up to 17 kg.
All grinders feature Marposs diameter gauging and length positioning equipment as well as automatic wheel balancing.
The new camshaft grinders, which entered service in February this year, comprises produce 3- and 4-cylinder shafts from iron castings with chill-hardened lobes.
They also operate alongside pre-existing plant relocated from the other factory.
The first Toyoda grinder is a GL5-P with straight-approach, aluminium oxide wheel for plunging the journals and grinding the sprocket diameter at one end.
This machine has its headstock on the right instead of the left and is moveable under program control, as are the tailstock and automatic steadies.
Five microns roundness and +/- 10 microns on dimensions are specified on the drawing, although actual tolerance held is considerably better.
As with the GL6 crank plunge grinder, the GL5 features rapid wheel exchange, but in this case in just 10 minutes, to speed set-up between batches.
Mark Reynolds commented that 80 per cent of the changeover is completed at the press of a button.
Camshaft grinding is completed on a dedicated Toyoda GCS-32 lobe grinding machine.
Whereas its early 90s counterpart has twin aluminium oxide wheels, Triumph took the opportunity this time around to invest in the latest single CBN wheel model, which has a faster three-minute cycle and allows greater flexibility of production.
For example, it is possible to profile each lobe at a slightly different angle to stagger fuel entry to the cylinder at each port.
This option could be offered on future Triumph motorcycles.
A twin-pallet Toyoda FH45S horizontal machining centre was also supplied to carry out end working and various prismatic operations on either crankshafts or camshafts.
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