How is the piston and piston rings manufactured

Have you ever wondered how pistons and piston rings are manufactured? Obviously, there is a long and arduous process involved to make the final product for your car’s engine. To have a better idea, we will explain it to you step by step.

First, a long and solid aluminium rod is used as it is lightweight, rust-resistant and can be cut easily. In the beginning, a saw is used to cut the aluminium rod into smaller pieces referred to as slugs. Slugs are varied in length.

Afterwards, the slugs are moved and heated into an oven. A punch press and dye are pre-heated while this process goes on. The slug is then removed from the oven and placed into the punch. The punch presses the slug with 2000 tons of pressure and forges it into the basic shape of a piston. During this process a lot of heat is generated, so the piston must be air cooled for at least an hour before we proceed.

The forgings go through an oven two more times at a lower temperature to stabilize it. Earlier, this was done at a higher temperature to strengthen the metal. After this process is complete, a lathe is then used to fine-tune the basic form of the piston and give it a finished shape. Tiny holes are then drilled into the sides of the piston, to create oil passages. The same lathe is then used to impress three piston rings into the top of the piston. These rings help the piston glide through to form an air-tight seal.

Subsequently, a large hole is drilled through both sides of the piston. That’s where the wrist pin is inserted which is used to attach the piston to the connecting rod during the process of the engine assembly.

Now, a milling machine is used to shave up to a few centimetres off of each side of the piston exactly where the large holes were drilled for wrist pin insertion. The milling machine is used to reduce the overall weight of the piston.

Another milling machine is used to chip off the area where the three rings were formed earlier. It brings the piston one step closer to its final form.

Then, another lathe shaves a few more millimetres off of the top which in turn allows the piston to expand when heat builds up inside of it. After that, a machine engraves information related to model and production on it. The sharp edges of the piston created during production are smoothened manually.

Ultimately, the holes created for the wrist pin go through a machine to smoothen them out as well. It allows the wrist pin to fit comfortably. In the end, the pistons are showered with hot, deionized water to remove any lubricant or oil that may have gathered during the process of production. The piston is now ready to use after it dries up completely.

This is how piston and piston rings are manufactured. The entire process requires a lot of attention-to-detail for manufacturing the right kind of piston and piston rings. At SAMKRG, we leave no stones unturned during production. That’s why we are the leading manufacturers of piston and piston rings in India.Source: https://medium.com/@samkrgpistonsandrings/how-is-the-piston-and-piston-rings-manufactured-96652b8e56c0

Managing Director at SamKrg Pistons and Rings Limited