This article will describe OE Diesel Block thousands of bores daily for reciprocation rates, tool
typical plateau honing multiple years of service life. reversal points (length of
processes used by large
Honing Operation
The engine blocks are fixtured stroke), feed and expansion
original equipment (OE) and have the ability to be rates, as well as the in-process
Machine Tool
manufacturers of diesel rotated and transferred within air gaging of the bores within
High volume machining of
engines. Included will be the the machine to allow for each the hone process. This is
diesel engine blocks is
machine methodologies as bore to be rough and plateau needed to assure that proper
well as the hone tooling, typically accomplished using
honed in the various stations and consistent pressures are
abrasives, gauging and various milling, drilling,
and passed on to a post gage applied to the stones during
coolant considerations and reaming and boring
station to complete the the hone process. This along
their effect on bore size, operations as part of a cylinder bore honing process. with precise stroke length and
surface finish, and cylindricity. dedicated transfer style The machine tool reversal point accuracy is built
The transfer of this OE machining line. The final referenced throughout this in to assure that the stock
technology to the engine critical operation performed article will be a typical removal rates and bore
remanufacturing shops will be on these blocks would be the Micromatic machine designed geometry shape is met. Diesel
discussed with the emphasis honing of the cylinder bores. to hone the cylinder bores of block line tooling is designed
on selecting the proper tool This operation is done on a an eight cylinder diesel engine. to run in the rotational range
design, abrasive selection and stand alone and dedicated Bore sizes in this example will of 140 to 200 surface feet per
metrology to assure a best machine utilizing multiple be approximately 4.00 inches minute. Care is taken early on
bore condition to their spindles to accomplish the (101.6mm) in diameter and in the hone process
customer. required stock removal as well 5.000 inches (127mm) deep. development to determine the
as the finish bore size and appropriate feeds and speeds
surface finish structuring Speeds and Feeds required to achieve the desired
required from the OE. These Integral to the machine tool is stock removal rates and cycle
machines are constructed with a sophisticated programmable times.
heavy duty bases and logic controller (PLC) with the
precision slides to ability to precisely maintain, Crosshatch
accommodate the accuracy control, and adjust the A critical feature of the
required to precision hone various spindle speeds, tool cylinder bore that is directly
Fig. 1: Micromatic OE
hone machine shown
with Bates tooling
designed to hone cylinder
bores of engine blocks.
affected by changes to applications requiring one Cycle times for this style jointly depending upon which
feeds/speeds is the crosshatch spindle to hone multiple bores machine to hone and transfer method produces the best
angle as designated by the of a six or eight cylinder a V8 diesel block through results within any given
OE. A defined crosshatch block. these operations is less than process application. In the
pattern is a required cylinder 50 seconds. eight cylinder example noted
bore feature that the stroke First Pass Operation above, the honing processes
hone is responsible for Single stroke Microsize (fixed Hone Process would utilize both forms of
achieving. The main purpose diameter tool with mounted Production tools are designed expansion as follows:
of this angle is to retain (hold) diamond abrasives) technique to expand the abrasive stones
the appropriate amount of oil designed to improve upon the outward to bore contact and Rough (Base) Hone Process
within a given crevice valley bored geometry and to
then to hone the wall with a • Stepper feed system.
which has been generated in provide a repeatable surface
preset amount of work load
the rough hone operation. finish to the stroke honing • Tool enters the bore,
or pressure which is
Most OE’s will specify the stations. stepper feed system expands
determined by the type of
angles to intersect at or near the abrasives to bore
45° to each other or at 22° to Second and Third Pass material being honed along
with the desired end results. contact as the spindle
32° to the horizontal deck Operation rotation begins.
surface. Stroke honing stations The machine tool abrasive
consisting of four spindles to expansion system is • Tool continues to expand to
Machine Cycle Times Rough hone (second pass) and accomplished through either a meet an initial size offset,
The number of hone spindles four spindles to Plateau Hone stepper motor or hydraulic/air followed by a second feed
on these machines is usually (third pass). Each spindle is torque limit feed systems. velocity programmed to
dependant upon cycle time tooled to hone two of the Both are proven methods and meet the final preset size for
requirements with many eight bores in each block. can be used independently or this operation.
Fig. 7: Post air gage heads monitor pre set attributes and
alerts are activated if a deviation occurs outside of the size
tolerance range so that a correction can be made to the
process.
GLOSSARY
Rk – Core
determined in the pre- as honed. This aids the OE in spindle hone machines that Roughness Depth
The long term running
production stage through a determining if any there are have a style and functionality surface which will
developmental and statistical inherent piece part issues such similar to those found at the influence the
honing process. This process as lack of wall support, OE engine production performance and life of
leads to the most efficient tool casting imperfections, etc. or facilities. Additionally the cylinder.
design, abrasive selection and part processing issues relating companies such as Rottler and Rpk – Reduced
machine working pressures to to the hone that may have an Sunnen build and market Peak Height
assure a capable and reliable impact on quality and guide alternate style hone machines A measurement of the
them toward corrective peaks of the surface in
production hone process. designed for use in the engine the cylinder bore. These
Particular attention is actions that may be required remanufacturing industry. A peaks will be the areas
given to the ability of the to allow compliance. thorough evaluation should be of most rapid wear when
hone to perfect bore made of all the available hone the engine is first run.
geometries passed on from the OE Technology machines as they relate to Rvk
previous boring operation and Transfer to the your style of remanufacturing A measurement of the oil
also to produce honed bores and to assure they meet the retaining capability of the
Remanufacturing valleys of the surface
that meet cylindricity demands that will be placed
requirements in the range of
Industry (valley depth) produced
upon them. during the machining
<.010mm (.000394”). In the process (plateau honing)
Hone Machine
production environment, off- The OE hone process as Key review points should Vo
line quality checks for bore described in this article uses Oil retention volume of a
include:
geometry are accomplished multiple spindles controlled surface cross hatch.
using a PAT Incometer Gage by state of the art logic to • Robust construction and
Metrology
designed to show bore manage and control the stability in machine base. Method of measurement.
roundness and straightness precision stroke, expansion, • Proper duty motor with Profileometer
(cylindricity) down to 2.5 and air gage systems required horsepower to effectively A precision instrument
microns. For this example a to rough and plateau hone the used to measure or
hone using diamond
recording is made of the bore cylinder bores of diesel engine “trace” surface finish.
abrasives.
axially every 10º and over five blocks. The machines are Abbot Curve
depth levels within the constructed using heavy duty • Heavy duty and durable A graphic representation
cylinder bore. This bases and precision slides. construction of all working of specifications for a
information is compiled and Many manufactures of the components of the stroke surface finish.
produces a symmetric (wire OE style of dedicated block and feed systems (gears,
cage) view of the bore shape hones offer single or two belts, etc)
www.joebakerequipmentsales.com
composition of the abrasive/ CNC machine tools including Recap and abrasive system best suits
bond matrix. machining centers, lathes, and the individual type of
Filtration should be sized vertical chuckers. The hone Technology exists today to remanufacturing process that
to remove the smallest chip tools are built to fit into the allow the remanufacture of a business may be involved
(swarf) that is removed in you various style of machine tool engine blocks to utilize hone with.■
hone operation. holders such as CAT, HSK, tooling and abrasive systems
etc., and utilize the coolant that are representative of
Honing on CNC pressure (thru spindle) to those used in the OE industry.
Machining Centers expand and control the Factors such as bore geometry
An opportunity now exists for cutting pressure required of and finish requirements may
those in the remanufacturing the abrasives. be impacted by the inability of
industry to potentially utilize some lighter duty hones to
The addition of the in-tool
existing or new CNC meet the accuracies provided
air gage system allows for
equipment to complete the by the OE production hone
continuous monitoring of part
hone process. A flexible machine tools. Additionally
honing system has been diameter during the honing
the reduction of wall support
developed by a leading OE operation. This also allows David Chobany is a Senior Member of
created by re-boring the
tooling and abrasive supplier for the potential “to close the cylinder bores prior to honing
the Society of Manufacturing Engineers
loop” with prior operations (SME). Over the past years he has
that brings the same design of will influence the final shape presented technical honing and
tooling, abrasive and in- such as finish boring. This and size characteristics as training seminars to international
process air gaging that is used would allow for a more compared to the OE. SME audiences, corporate process
within many of the OE engine compliant size control to the It is recommended that a engineers and independent
manufacturers of today. hone which in turn would comparison be made of all the metalworking businesses. He has over
15 years of technical expertise in the
This patented tooling provide more consistent and currently available technology metalworking industry and is currently
package is designed to repeatable surface structuring to discern which combination employed as Vice President of Bates
function within many styles of that the industry requires. of hone machine and tooling Technologies.
Specializing in
Used/Rebuilt
Engine Rebuilding
Equipment
FARRIS EQUIPMENT SALES is one of the largest
dealers of used/rebuilt engine rebuilding equipment in
the United States. We have been blessed to ship our
equipment to nearly every state in the USA and to over
40 other countries around the world.
www.farrisequipment.com
Contact SAM FARRIS or DON STONE
We invite you to visit our website for photos and pricing: 3001 Interstate 27, Lubbock, TX 79404
E-mail: sam@farrisequipment.com