Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Maurice G Meyer

Dale Edward Murrish

Keith Hart

Qigui Wang

Jianghuai Yang

Thomas P Newcomb

David Douglas Goettsch

Scott A Hucker

Christopher D Cogan

Paul J Boone

Garrold A DeGrace

James T Singer

Stephen M Fitch

Gregory T Naismith

Mark Helmle

Presented are crankshaft assemblies with internal stiffening structures, methods for making/using such crankshaft assemblies, and internal combustion engines equipped with such crankshaft assemblies. A crankshaft body, which is formed with a first material, includes multiple bearing journals that are mutually coaxial to rotate on a crankshaft axis and spaced from each other along the length of the crankshaft. Each bearing journal has an internal journal cavity. Multiple crankpins are longitudinally spaced from each and axially offset from the crankshaft's rotational axis. Each crankpin has an internal crankpin cavity. Multiple crank webs project radially from the crankshaft axis and interconnect the bearing journals with the crankpins. Each crank web has an internal web cavity. Disposed within the journal cavities, crankpin cavities, and/or web cavities is a stiffening bar formed with a second material having a modulus of elasticity that is greater than the modulus of elasticity of the first material.

Engine crankshaft assemblies with internal stiffening structures

A method for relieving residual stress in cast-in-place liners of high pressure die cast (HPDC) engine blocks to prevent cracking in the liners during the machining process. The method includes locally heating up the liners and the surrounding engine block material through rapid induction heating and then cooling down the liners and surrounding engine block material with still ambient air to a predetermined temperature after the residual stress has been reduced to a desired threshold.

Method for relieving residual stress in cast-in-place liners of HPDC engine blocks

A cylinder liner for an engine block that includes an inter-bore saw cut includes a first engine block bonding surface, and a second engine block bonding surface that has a lower level of bonding between the cylinder liner and an engine block than the first engine block bonding surface. The second engine block bonding surface extending from an axial end portion of the liner a distance greater than a depth of the saw cut in inter-bore section of the engine block.

Cylinder liner for internal combustion engine

Methods, systems, and apparatus for reduction of gas pressure within a core, such as a sand casting core package, during a casting process in order to reduce bubble defects. Some embodiments may comprise a mold configured to receive a molten metal to create a metal casting, such as an engine block casting. The mold may comprise a mold core configured to create a cavity within the metal casting. The system may further comprise a filling device configured for delivering a molten metal into the mold for creating the metal casting. The mold core may comprise a material that is permeable to certain gases known to often result in bubble defects. The system may further comprise a vacuum configured to be coupled with the mold to reduce gas pressure within a permeable portion of the mold in order to reduce the incidence of bubble defects within the casting.

Methods for sand core gas evacuation and related systems and apparatus

A method of simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of crankshafts includes positioning a core system having a plurality of individual cores within a cavity of a mold having first and second halves forming an exterior shape of the crankshafts. The crankshafts' exterior shape includes a plurality of pin bearing journals and a plurality of main bearing journals. Each of the cores passes through each of the crankshafts. At least one core passes through at least one of the pin bearing journals and at least one other core passes through at least one of the main bearing journals. The method also includes introducing into the cavity molten metal to form the crankshafts. As the metal flows into the cavity and around the plurality of cores, a hollow section extending through at least one of the pin bearing journals and at least one of the main bearing journals of each crankshaft is formed.

Method of simultaneously manufacturing a plurality of crankshafts

A crankshaft is cast in a mold to define a plurality of pin bearing journals and a plurality of main bearing journals, at least one of each has a hollow section extending therethrough. A single core is positioned within the mold to form all of the hollow sections. The single core may include a cross-section defining an elliptical shape to form hollow sections having an elliptical cross-sectional shape to further reduce the weight of the crankshaft. The hollow sections are each positioned along a path that minimizes stress within the crankshaft. The path may include a non-linear path relative to a longitudinal axis of the crankshaft or a linear path angled relative to the longitudinal axis to bend or direct the hollow sections away from high stress regions of the crankshaft. The non-circular cross section of the core may spiral about its own axis to maximize mass reduction.

Method of manufacturing a crankshaft

A casting mold for an engine block and method for manufacturing the casting mold. In one embodiment, the casting mold includes a mold seat with a double-curved surface, and a cast-in cylinder liner. The cylinder liner has an axis and an end surface. The end surface is in tangential contact with the double-curved surface in a seated position prior to any thermal expansion of the cylinder liner. In various embodiments, the cylinder liner becomes slightly unseated upon thermal expansion.

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Defiance, OH, United States of America

Maurice G Meyer