Category Archives: Automotive

Automotive, Shot Blasting

Automotive Manufacturer Partners with Rosler for Fast Processing, Long Wear Life

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True to our “finding a better way…” motto, Rosler partnered with thyssenkrupp AG to create a continuous flow shot blasting operation for the fastest crankshaft forge shop in the world.

World renowned for its drive trains, chassis, and automobile manufacturing equipment, the automotive division of thyssenkrupp AG significantly contributes to the technical progress and efficiency of motor vehicles. The thyssenkrupp Gerlach GmbH plant in Homburg, Germany, is a leading partner for the development of automobile engine components, offering a full-service package ranging from component design, prototype fabrication, and full-scale production.

Developing a Solution

To improve cost efficiency at its Homburg plant and to meet all customer requirements, thyssenkrupp AG installed its high-tech “production line 19” for forged crankshafts for engines with one to four cylinders in 2016. For this line, Rosler developed an innovative shot blast equipment concept known as the Rosler RKWS crankshaft shot blasting system.

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Automotive, Shot Blasting

Automotive Supplier Achieves Process Stability, High Cost Efficiency with Modular Shot Peening System

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For transmission components like gears and shafts, shot peening has become an indispensable step in the overall manufacturing process.  

With the RWT swing table machine, Rosler developed a modular equipment concept that can be easily adapted to different technical requirements and offers a maximum in process stability paired with absolutely repeatable peening results and high cost efficiency. One of the numerous customers within the automotive industry utilizing the RWT is an Asian automotive supplier.

The Need

As part of a capacity expansion for minivan transmissions, this customer increased annual production to 40,000 units and decided to carry out the required shot peening operation in-house instead of subcontracting it to an external job shop.

The specifications called for a system that can handle around 560,000 single work pieces per year, including 15 different types of gears and shafts. Each work piece type required the development of a specific peening program based on drawings and various work piece materials.

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Automotive

Rosler & Lumag – Combining Multiple Solutions in a Single Finishing System

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Finding a solution to our clients’ needs is nothing new for Rosler, nor is combining multiple solutions into a single finishing system. Take our work with Polish brake pad manufacturer Lumag Sp. z o.o. (Lumag), for example.

When they faced the challenge of de-oiling, deburring, and surface roughening brake pad carrier plates as part of their punch press process, they turned to us for a cleaning and mass finishing solution.

The Situation

Upon its founding in 1988 by Marek Zak, Lumag specialized in the production of brake linings. As the company implemented its own brake pad manufacturing technology, their products and offerings evolved. In addition to achieving enormous technological progress and applied engineering solutions, Lumag amassed a collection of machinery in need of constant upgrades and integration.

In order to meet the continuous rise of quality and safety standards for its brake pads for drum and disk brakes for commercial vehicles as well as brake pads for passenger cars and motorcycles under the trade name Breck, Lumag needed a partner with automotive expertise who could combine multiple solutions in a single system.

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Automotive

Automotive Crankshafts, Part 3 – Typical Mass Finishing Machines Used for Crankshafts

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Crankshafts are an integral automotive component. Utilized to convert piston movement into rotational motion, these work pieces must provide reliable stability and withstand tensile, compressive, and shear stresses.

Rosler Metal Finishing has extensive experience finishing crankshafts and other automotive work pieces with specially designed shot blasting and mass finishing equipment.

Let’s take a closer look at mass finishing machines offering outstanding processing for crankshafts.

Typical Machines

Built with specific work pieces in mind, Rosler designs several machines to process crankshafts and other automotive work pieces.

Due to their considerable size and weight, the only mass finishing machines capable of handling the deburring of crankshafts after machining are mid- to large-sized tub vibrators or linear, continuous flow vibrators.

Selecting one machine type over the other largely depends on the work piece’s size.

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Automotive

Automotive Crankshafts, Part 2 – Shot Blasting Machines Designed for Crankshafts

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As established in Part 1 of our Automotive Blog Series, “Cost-Effective Surface Improvement for Key Engine Components,” shot blasting is an effective technique for the surface treatment of automotive parts including crankshafts.

Used in heavy trucks, heavy equipment, and, even, large ships, crankshafts enable an engine to move a vehicle by converting the reciprocating (up/down) movement of the pistons/connecting rods into a rotational movement that propels the vehicle forward.

Depending on their size, weight, and production volume, crankshafts can be blast-cleaned in different machines. Rosler Metal Finishing offers solutions for a wide range of crankshaft types with weights from 15 to more than 500 lbs and lengths from 10 up to 80 in and more.

Typical Machines

Built with specific work pieces in mind, the machines designed to process crankshafts are as diverse as the work pieces they accommodate.

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Automotive, Mass Finishing, Shot Blasting

Automotive Crankshafts, Part 1 – Cost-Effective Surface Improvement for Key Engine Components

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Crankshafts are a key component of internal combustion engines, be it mass-produced engines for motorcycles and automobiles, engines for heavy trucks, off-high highway equipment, and even large ships.

Crankshafts convert the reciprocating (up/down) movement of the pistons/connecting rods into a rotational movement that drives the wheels and allows a vehicle to move forward.

Rosler Metal Finishing understands the vital importance of these engine components and has developed specific shot blasting and mass finishing machines to process these pieces to perfection.

A crankshaft with connected rods and pistons
A crankshaft with connected rods and pistons

Materials & Production Methods

Considering that automotive crankshafts weigh around 40-60 pounds and rotate approximately 100 times per second, these parts are exposed to tremendous tensile, compressive, and shear stresses. In addition, combustion forces and piston acceleration in an engine can also cause significant vibration.

Therefore, crankshafts must be made from tough, wear-resistant materials, usually high alloy carbon steel. Typical alloying elements are manganese, chromium, molybdenum, nickel, cobalt, or vanadium.

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