MANUFACTURING PROCESS

OF THE PISTONS
BY RAMON MUOZ
WHAT IS A PISTON?

THE PISTON IS A CYLINDER WHICH IS OPEN AT ITS LOWER BASE AND

CLOSED AT THE TOP. IT ATTACHED TO THE ROD AT ITS MIDDLE PART.
PISTON MOVEMENT IS UP AND DOWN INSIDE THE CYLINDER, COMPRESSING
THE MIXTURE, TRANSMITS COMBUSTION PRESSURE TO THE CRANKSHAFT
THROUGH THE CONNECTING ROD, THE OUTPUT POWER FROM THE
COMBUSTION GASES IN THE EXHAUST STROKE AND CAUSES A VACUUM IN
THE CYLINDER WHICH "SUCKS" THE MIXTURE IN THE SUCTION STROKE.
PARTS OF THE PISTON
THE PISTON FITS LOOSELY WITHIN THE CYLINDER IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE
FRICTION, BUT THIS WOULD LEAD TO GAS LEAKAGE. IN ORDER TO AVOID
THIS, IN SOME OF THE GROOVES D OF THE PISTON SKIRT E, FROM THE
IMAGE ABOVE, SEGMENTS (FLEXIBLE STEELED PISTON RINGS) ARE
INSTALLED.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF SEGMENTS: OF COMPRESSION (A AND B) AND
LUBRICATION (C)
MATERIAL OF PISTONS

THE PISTONS MATERIAL WILL VARY DEPENDING ON ITS PURPOSE AND

DESIGN. BUT FOR MOST OF THE REGULAR CARS, PISTONS ARE BUILT IN
ALMOST ALL CASES DURALUMINIUM, AN ALLOY OF ALUMINUM, COPPER AND
NICKEL WHICH HARDENS THE ALUMINUM RETAINING ITS LIGHTNESS.
PREVIOUSLY THE PISTONS WERE MADE OF CAST IRON, WHICH GAVE THEM
A GOOD RESISTANCE, BUT IN RETURN, WERE TOO HEAVY.
 PROCESSES OF PISTON MANUFACTURING

THE MOST COMMON WAYS FOR MAKING A PISTON FOR INTERNAL

COMBUSTION ENGINE ARE:
FORGING
CASTING
 FORGING
AN ALUMINUM BAR AND CUT IS TAKEN DEPENDING ON THE
MANUFACTURER'S SPECIFICATION
THE DRILL AND LATHE ARE PREHEATED TO 426 C.
THE DISCS ARE SET TO THE SAME TEMPERATURE IN THE OVEN.
THE PUNCH APPLIES 200 TONS OF FORCE TO GIVE THE INITIAL FORM THE
PISTON.
 THE DISCS ARE LUBRICATED TO FACILITATE THE FORGING .
FORGING
THE DRILL ONLY NEEDS TWO SECONDS TO DO THIS WORK.
BECAUSE TEMERATURAS HIGH FORGING TO WHICH THE PISTONS TO BE COOLED BY AT LEAST AN HOUR IS CARRIED OUT .
THE PISTON IS HEATED TWICE , THE FIRST TO HARDEN AND THE SECOND TO STABILIZE .
THE PISTON IS INSERTED ON A LATHE TO GIVE IT THE CORRECT WAY AND THE MACHINES CAN HANDLE IT EASILY .
WITH THE PISTON PUNCH HOLES ARE MADE FOR THE LUBRICANT TO FLOW THROUGH THEM WHEN THE PISTON IS IN USE.
WITH ANOTHER AROUND THE DIAMETER OF THE PISTON IS REDUCED BY 3 MM AND 3 SLOTS ARE PROVIDED , TWO FOR
COMPRESSION RINGS AND ONE FOR THE OIL CONTROL RING .
THEN WITH A DRILL HOLE FOR THE ROD IS MADE
A LAMINATING TRIMMED TO TWO INCHES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE PISTON IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT THEREOF.
AFTER A LATHE REMOVES A SMALL PARCION MATERIAL OUTSIDE THE PISTON TO EXPAND SLIGHTLY WHEN HEAT IS
GENERATED.
A DRILL MAKES TWO HOLES IN THE PIECE TO DRAIN OIL IN ORDER TO LUBRICATE THE ROD.
A CUTTING MACHINE REMOVES SOME OF THE METAL INTO THE HOLE SO THAT THE CONNECTING ROD CAN BE ATTACHED FIRMLY.
QUALITY CONTROL

QUALITY CONTROL
1 IN 10 PARTS ARE IMMERSED IN WATER TO FIND FLAWS AFTER
PIERCING.
AT THE END OF THE PROCEDURE, A LIME OPERATOR RIDGES LEFT FROM
PREVIOUS OPERATIONS, WITH A BELT SANDER ONCE AGAIN POLISHED
FLANGES.
HIGH PRESSURE PISTON WITH HOT DEIONIZED WATER IS VAPORIZED TO
REMOVE OIL AND GREASE
CASTING

THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM INTO THE MOLD IS POURED HYDRAULIC PERMANENT. WHEN THE
MATERIAL IS REMOVED FROM THE MOLD DRY.
WITH A CUTTING EXCESS MATERIAL IS REMOVED.
BEFORE CONTINUING WITH THE MACHINING PROCESS, THE PISTONS ARE PLACED IN THE
OVEN TO HARDEN.
WITH AROUND THE ROUGH SURFACE CAUSED BY THE HARDENING OF THE MATERIAL IN THE
FURNACE IS ELIMINATED.
IN A CNC LATHE SURFACE OF THE PISTON SKIRT, AND MACHINE SEGMENTS.
USING A DRILL WILL MAKE HOLES THAT WILL CIRCULATE THE LUBRICANT.
WITH A LATHE CUT A SMALL PORTION OF THE MATERIAL WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES
THE PISTON CAN EXPAND A LITTLE.