The crankshaft is the heart of any engine. By means of connecting rods, the crankshaft converts the oscillating, linear movement of the pistons into rotational movements, which then drive the engine of the car or other vehicle.
The crankshaft is used everywhere that energy and power are transformed into rotational movements. It has a very wide variety of applications, ranging from chainsaws to automotive engines, all the way up to diesel generators in marine engines. Typical areas of application include:
A crankshaft is made up of the following components:
Crankshafts can be forged or cast. Forged crankshafts are produced using a complicated forging method, and cast crankshafts are made by pouring molten metal into a mould. Crankshafts are also categorized according to the number of cylinders they have – anywhere from 1 to 12 and sometimes even 14 or 18. Crankshafts can range in size from just a few centimeters long (for small engines) to up to 15 or even 16 meters long (mostly for use in marine diesel engines.)
JUNKER’s pendulum grinding method is a versatile machine concept for grinding crankshafts of all types. The JUCRANK machines use the pendulum grinding method to grind main bearings (cylindrical, concave, crowned,) pin bearings (cylindrical, concave, crowned) and thrust bearings in one or multiple clamping set-ups. Hardened radii can also be ground. Using straight, narrow grinding wheels allows for main and pin bearings of different widths to be ground with the same wheel. The grinding wheel can also be swiveled, allowing each bearing to be individually corrected for cylindricity.
Advantages of the JUNKER grinding method: