అవలోకనం

Crankshaft is one of the critical parts in an automotive engine, generally made of medium carbon steel requiring good wear resistance at contact areas (at bearing contact region and pin area) coupled with high load-bearing capacity. Laser surface transformation hardening process provides excellent surface finish with elimination of post-process machining requirement, no part distortion and easy adaptation to any dimension. Excellent control on the energy input leads to a uniform hardened layer across the component. A two-wheeler air-compressor crankshaft made of En18D material was successfully laser hardened and field trialled. Hardness in the range of 500 – 650 HV with a uniform case depth of about 300 μm was achieved. Net residual stress in the treated layer was ~ -310 MPa with 2-3% retained austenite. Laser-hardened crankshafts showed 30% more life in field trials

Key Features

  • Selective and localised hardening process
  • No coolant or quenching medium required
  • Uniform hardened layer throughout the processed area
  • Negligible change in the surface roughness
  • Compressive stresses in the hardened region
  • Automation possible

Potential Applications

  • Crankshafts
  • Cam shafts
  • Gears

స్థితి

  • Laser-hardened crankshafts showed 30% more life in field trials

Intellectual Property Development Index (IPDI)

Level 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
వివరణ Basic concepts and understanding of underlying scientific principles Shortlisting possible applications Research to prove technical feasibility for targeted application Coupon level testing in simulated conditions Check repeatability/consistency Prototype testing in real-life conditions Check repeatability/consistency Reassessing feasibility (IP, competition technology, commercial) Initiate technology transfer Support in stabilizing production
స్థితి

For more details on Intellectual Property Development Indices, Click here

  • Laser Surface Hardening of Crankshafts, SAE 2009-28-0053