Mechanical Technology

Mechanical Technology — September 2016

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Modern transport and vehicle solutions

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Left:

Metric Automotive Engineering operates a crankshaft-grinding machine capable of grinding shafts of up to 4.7 m long and with weights of up to 5.0 t.

Centre:

The company operates the only CNC machining centre of its kind in Africa, capable of line boring, surfacing and blue-printing blocks up to 6.0 m

in length.

Right:

A major differentiator for Metric Automotive Engineering is its ongoing investment in the dedicated equipment that is needed to provide a

thorough and quality remanufacturing service.

Above:

This unit, one of only 11 operating worldwide, provides consistent accuracy levels and has the

capacity to handle 6.5 m blocks.

Left:

Metric Automotive Engineering’s facility in Johannesburg, Gauteng,

also features a three-axis computer numerical controlled machining centre.

viable option

life at a fraction of the cost of new items,”

says Yorke.

A sound example of this is the

company’s line bore remanufacturing

process that negates the need for any

welding on the engine block’s main

bearing housings, thereby removing the

additional stresses introduced into the

block through the conventional welding

process. All line bore remanufacturing

work is certified with laser alignment

certificates.

Metric Automotive Engineering’s

facility in Johannesburg, Gauteng, also

features a three-axis computer numerical

controlled machining centre. This unit,

one of only 11 operating worldwide,

provides consistent accuracy levels and

has the capacity to handle 6.5 m long

blocks with ease.

The company’s facility is also home

to several specialised machines that

are able to remanufacture surfaces and

bores of large blocks; this complements

its dedicated comprehensive block re-

manufacturing operations.

Metric Automotive Engineering also

owns several dedicated crankshaft-grind-

ing machines, of which the most recently

acquired offers the newest technology to

be introduced to the local remanufactur-

ing industry in many years. It is seated on

an isolated foundation, eliminating any

exposure to vibrations from inside the fac-

tory ensuring a quality remanufactured

end product. The machine can handle

crankshafts of up to 4.8 m in length and

weighing as much as 5.0 t.

Yorke says that it is operated together

with process critical compensators.

These compensate for the rotational

deflection found when grinding large

crankshafts, resulting in improved sur-

face finishes and dimensional tolerances.

The South African government has

placed increased emphasis on growing

South Africa’s oceans economy, and

Yorke believes that Metric Automotive

Engineering’s local diesel engine and

remanufacturing capabilities will add

value.