Materials and Manufacturing: Automotive Piston - Report Example

Name: Institution: Instructor: Subject: Date: MATERIALS AND MANUFACTURING REPORT: AUTOMOTIVE PISTON Introduction Automotive pistons in internal combustion engines are used in the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy. Automotive piston has various other applications which include the transmission of the forces in gas to the crank shaft through a connecting. It also performs the sealing functions together with piston rings. The other application of this particular automotive component is the dissipation of the combustion heat absorbed to the cooling oil and cylinder liner. The automotive industry is a very significant component of any economy that is growing. This industry consists of sectors of auto components as well as automobile. In the manufacture and production of an automotive piston, it is important to have a wide and clear understanding the process that is to be used in both material selection and manufacture. This is especially significant to the process of designing the product (Flanders, 108). There are also important aspects and factors that need to be taken into consideration when selection materials for use in the design and manufacture of pistons for various performance applications. These include the design, compression ratio and cost among others. The most significant factor to consider during the design and manufacture of an automotive piston as a product is its application as well as the conditions of operation. This plays an important role in the material selection and manufacturing processes as well as their justifications. In case of any adjustments of modification of the operation condition, the design process should be in a position to foresee such a scenario and consider it material selection and manufacturing process (Ashby,192). Identification and justification of materials used in manufacturing The use of various materials in the design and manufacture of an automotive piston is widely dependent on the preferred design and the condition of operation for the automotive piston. Aluminium alloys are widely applicable materials for the design and manufacture of pistons with application in both diesel and gasoline engines. This material selection is justifiable because of specific features and characteristics aluminium alloys. The specific feature includes high thermal conductivity, low density, compatibility with most techniques of fabrication, high reliability as well as excellent recycling features. Aluminium alloys also have a good control in terms of chemical composition. The outcomes of the final heat treatment as well as the conditions of processing include a desirable microstructure, which offers the required thermal and mechanical performance. The aluminium alloy materials utilised in the manufacture of automotive piston are particularly good in the resistance of high thermal fatigue (Kaushish, 123). The use of materials in the manufacture of automotive pistons takes place through consideration of process through which the materials undergo in the production. As the manufacture of automotive piston involves forged or cast aluminium silicon alloys that are resistant to high temperatures. In this case, three types of aluminium allow are used in the manufacture of automotive pistons. The eutectic aluminium alloy comprising of 12% silicon, approximately 1% copper, , approximately 1% nickel and approximately 1% magnesium. There has been the development of eutectic alloys of aluminium that are special in their features and are produced purposely for applications that deal with enhanced strengths and elevated temperatures (Boukharouba, 261) . The other set of material that are applicable to the manufacture of automotive pistons are the hypereutectic aluminium alloys. These alloys comprise of up to 24% of silicon composition, which serves to provide good protection against wear and thermal expansion, but the alloys have a generally low mechanical strength. In practical cases, the production of aluminium allows automotive pistons make use of a variety of further compositions of alloys that are optimized for their respective applications. A big percentage of the materials that are utilised in the manufacture and production of automotive pistons are used in gravity die-casting (Ashby,152). When there is need for the manufacture of pistons with high structural strength and low weight, the composition of allows that are utilised are the ones that have undergone proper controlled solidification and optimized composition. Pistons that are forged using both hypereutectic and eutectic aluminium alloys are responsible for the demonstration of high structural strength and are applicable in automotive engines that are rated at high performance. The use of automotive piston materials in the process of forging leads to the production of pistons whose microstructure is finer in comparison to those that are cast using similar compositions of alloy. The outcome of the production process causes higher strengths in low range of temperatures that high range of temperatures (Flanders, 114). A further justification for the use of such aluminium alloys in the manufacture and production of automotive piston is their ability to ensure the manufacture of small wall thickness, which plays a significant role in the reduction of the piston weight. The use of materials of aluminium metal matrix composites finds application in special design cases. Automotive pistons that require the reinforcement of aluminium oxide fibre at the bottom are manufactured through a process that uses the squeezing of cast and is applicable in diesel engines that use direct injection. The main justification for the application of these materials in piston manufacture relates to its special mechanical properties, which contribute a lot to the feature of enhanced thermal fatigue. Most materials that are utilised in the manufacture of automotive piston are also selected based on performance factors. Other materials include cast iron that is alloyed for rings in pistons, alloyed nodular cast irons as well as high temperature stainless steel among others (Happian, 142). Identification and justification of manufacturing process used Several manufacturing and production processes are used in the manufacture of an automotive piston. The selection of these processes is influenced and justified by various factors and design considerations. Some these factors include the nature of design that is required, the kind of application for which he piston is to be used, the nature of materials to be used in the process among several others. Different components of the automotive piston also calls for the use of different manufacturing process just as it is the case with the materials used. The exercise of manufacturing process and identification for automotive pistons also considers the constraint and the requirements of the selected design. Some of the design constraints that are considered include the piston rings meeting the standards of being made up of cast iron, the specific size requirements and desirable properties. Theses require manufacturing process that involve operations such as cleaning, grinding and facing which offer the desired finishing features for the product. The operations in the manufacturing process general require machining through turning in order to come up with the required distribution of pressure over its surface. The manufacturing process identification and selection require appropriate justification. This is important in ensuring a smooth performance of the various operations involved in the manufacturing process (Kaushish, 233). The process selecting the production of pistons for various applications considers the anticipated manufacturing volume among several other factors. The anticipated manufacturing volume is useful in informing and influencing the most appropriate manufacturing process for the piston. This plays a significant role in optimization of the cost of production, time duration as well as other necessary factors. The manufacturing process for the manufacture of high performance pistons is casting in permanent moulds whereas those that are used high-speed power applications are manufactured through a process that involved extrusion from aluminium bar stock (Ashby,166). The justification of each of these manufacturing processes considers the associated advantages and benefits based on an appropriate and effective evaluation of the expected outcomes. The selection and use of power forging manufacturing process in the manufacture of automobile piston comes about because of its application in high compression engines. This goes hand in hand with the utilisation of the alloy materials that re special in that the contain 11% silicon that is purposely for enhancing its period of operation. The identification and selection of the relevant assembly techniques and systems in the entire process of automotive piston manufacturing is largely dependent of the selected materials for use as well as the processes applied. This simplifies the whole process and eliminates any failures that might take place. The identification of appropriate systems and techniques of assembly is desirable in supporting the whole manufacturing to completion in effective manner. Quality control and quality assurance The aspect of quality control and quality assurance in the process of material selection and manufacture of automobile piston is a fundamental requirement. This involves the careful analysis and evaluation of the processes and techniques employed against acceptable standards of quality. The acceptable standards are set with regard to process that results into particular standardized shape, size and strength among others. The process of manufacturing the automotive piston needs to be subject to a thorough process of monitoring and evaluation right from material selection to the time the manufacturing of the product is completed. The finished automotive piston product also needs to go through standardization and quality evaluation to determine its compliance with quality requirements (Flanders, 134). The quality assurance in the process of manufacturing a product such as an automotive piston is very significant due to the role that it plays when it comes to earning the confidence and trust from the product users. Every stage and process that is involved in the general manufacture and production of the automotive piston is expected to observe the set quality standards and requirements. This exercise is important in eliminating higher chances of product rejection for reasons of non-compliance or substandard quality. A closely monitored and controlled manufacturing process is necessary for the production of automotive piston due to high precision and accuracy requirements in such products. This is also necessary in eliminating failure of the product during its usage in various applications (Ashby,176). Conclusion In conclusion, it is clear that manufacturing process of the automobile position, as a product needs to meet the requirements that regard the appropriate material selection as well as manufacturing process to be used. It is also important to consider the various applications and operating conditions of the piston in identifying and selecting appropriate materials. The other important consideration is the relevance and compatibility of the assembly systems and techniques employed and finally the aspect of quality control and quality assurance in the entire process is a fundamental necessity. Works Cited Ashby, M F. Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Amsterdam: Butterworth Heinemann, 2005. Internet resource. Boukharouba, Taoufik, Mimoun Elboujdaini, and Guy Pluvinage. Damage and Fracture Mechanics: Failure Analysis of Engineering Materials and Structures. Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer Verlag, 2009. Print. Decreasing Energy Intensity in Manufacturing: Assessing the Strategies and Future Directions of the Industrial Technologies Program. Washington: National Academies Press, 2005. Print. Flanders, Ralph. Design, Construction and Manufacture of Automobiles. Bremen: Salzwasser-Verl, 2010. Print. Happian-Smith, Julian. An Introduction to Modern Vehicle Design. Oxford [u.a.: Butterworth-Heinemann, 2001. Print. Kaushish, J P. Manufacturing Processes. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall of India, 2008. Print. Read More