![\"emagc810_750x500\"](\"http:\/\/mfgtechupdate.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/emagc810_750x500.jpg\")
<\/a>\nActually, the prospects for the automotive industry internationally are very good. The next few years are expected to see noticeable growth (especially in the Asian growth markets). But it is also true that the competition is, in many respects, becoming more complex. \u00a0In Asia, for instance, new competitors are crowding onto the market. In addition to that, more rigorous national emission limits and safety requirements are leading to an increase in production costs. As a consequence, the eye of the planner is on the manufacturing technology. How can the cost increases be reversed? Crankshaft machining is again a good example. The efficiency and stability of the engine depends on this core component. The grinding process therefore includes a (work-intensive) fine-machining operation in the micrometre range. And this has always been a job for the expert \u2013 also where the manufacturer of the relevant technology is concerned.<\/p>\n
New capital investment<\/strong> Outstanding precision guaranteed<\/strong>
\nThe machine builders at EMAG have, for decades, relied on a high degree of knowhow in this sector. Among other machine tools, the company \u2013 with \u00a0headquarters in Salach, near G\u00f6ppingen, Germany \u2013 also develops tailor-made grinding solutions for shaft-type components. The new machine PMD 2 complements their crankshaft grinder program. It is designed for the machining of crankshafts for passenger cars and features twin grinding heads that allow for the simultaneous grinding of two pin or main bearings in a single setup, using two grinding wheels. Its capacity covers small components of up to 500 mm length. \u201cWith this machine we are rounding off our range of crankshaft grinders to include the machining of smaller components,\u201c explains Dr Guido Hegener, Managing Director of EMAG Maschinenfabrik GmbH. \u201cUp to now, our range of machines did not include a horizontal twin-head grinder for smaller crankshafts. This gap is now filled with the PMD 2, a machine the excellent price-performance ratio of which is also ideally suited to combat the increasing competition in the automotive industry.\u201c<\/p>\n
\nThe developers at EMAG have been able to fall back on tried and tested technologies. The basis for the PMD 2 is the well proven \u201eSeries 2\u201c of EMAG NAXOS-UNION and EMAG KOPP. These machines combine high-tech grinding technology with precision, great efficiency, process integrity and simple operation. That applies to the PMD 2 as well, of course, where two CBN grinding wheels machine crankshafts to the highest precision. To achieve this, the machine is equipped with a direct-driven workspindle, hydrostatic guideways and a linear motor in the X-axis, as well as an in-process measuring control that allows for roundness monitoring and correction in the machine. \u201cThe operator enters the relevant command in the control and the measuring process is carried out once the bearing has been ground. The software, developed by EMAG, then calculates the relevant correction values from the remaining roundness errors. This allows for the subsequent manufacturing processes to be successively optimised\u201c, adds Mr Hegener.<\/p>\n