Because the first CNC crankshaft video we featured here was so wildly popular, we’ve returned with an even better one. Watch as a NASCAR crankshaft is created from a raw forged blank on a single machine—untouched by human hands.
When the first crankshaft video we featured here (Video: See a Crankshaft Created From a Raw Steel Billet) became an enormous hit, nobody was more surprised than we were. Yes, we love that stuff, but we’re total geeks about automotive technology. We ran the item because we liked it, no other reason. Well, it turns out you’re geeks, too. You folks are as mesmerized by the magic of contemporary machining technology as we are.
As fascinating as it was too watch, the earlier crankshaft video had some issues. For example, the finished piece was a bit of a fudge—a sales sample, not a real crankshaft for a specific engine. But in this video, we see the creation of a crankshaft for use in NASCAR Sprint Cup racing, where engines may run more than 9000 rpm for 500 miles at a time. That’s serious business, make no mistake.
And while the earlier video focused on the fascinating details of the process, with closeups of tool paths and so forth, this video provides more of the big picture in the production of an automotive crankshaft. Material, tools and speeds are called out on the screen, and near the beginning there’s a helpful image (still capture above) showing the five basic phases of the production process from forged round stock to completed crankshaft.
Produced by Addy Machinery in Clinton Township, Michigan, this seven-minute clip features the Yamazaki Mazak Integrex 200Y turning and machining center—known informally in the biz as a CNC lathe, but as you will see, this machine is considerably more than that. Now watch this.
Another great article, as an old racer with some knowledge of Machining, I couldn’t believe all the processes without cooling fluid.
They probably turned the coolant off so they could leave the door open to make the video.
Yes, my thoughts too. There was more than a few ‘blue’ chips in the waste and more than the occasional squealing too. I presume the final journal finishing is still done the usual ways. And in that piece the flywheel flange was not done either, nor the balancer keyways etc either.
Very interesting piece though.
It makes it look so easy,, but someone has to write the program to make it all work and put all the correct tooling in the machine in the right order. I suspect all this is really only viable when doing production runs of such items.