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Superfinishing Solutions for Shock Absorber Piston Rods, Crankshafts, Camshafts and Speed Gears
Our through-feed superfinishers and centerless grinders are designed for manufacturers of engine valves, crankshafts, camshafts, drive-train gears, piston pins and shock absorber piston rods. Our microfinishing and superfinishing machines come with feeding rollers with adjustable angles and the mechanical oscillation system for rapid and dynamic movement of the stone guide system.
Machine specifications can be customized to the customer’s processes, required roughness needs, PLC preferences, feeding methods, and equipment safety standards.
Superfinishing Machines | Stone Finishing
Our superfinishers are equipped with uniquely designed oscillation systems and rollers; these technically advanced systems allow the machine to be easily maintained and adjusted for users’ need to change settings. Our mechanical oscillation system controls the stone guide, a modulized set of stones, to move faster than the pneumatic oscillation system, and allows the user easily to adjust the stone movement up, down, left, right and swivel. Coupled with the oscillation system, our feeding rollers are designed to be adjustable with feeding angles, depending on different workpiece feeding speed. Designed to be a quick-change-tool, our modularized stone guides allow the operator to take as little as 15 minutes to switch. These stone guides not only shorten the production cycle time but also keep maintenance easy and straightforward.
Our standard superfinishers consist of an oscillation head, hydraulic or pneumatic-actuated stone guide system, feed roller driving device, electric control system, infeed and outfeed conveyors, and coolant filtration system. Our oscillation system is designed for easy adjustment, maintenance and long machine life throughout the grinding process. Clients can choose between hydraulic or pneumatic-actuated stone guide systems to suit different environment in their plants. As a rule of thumb, we recommend hydraulic systems if your plants have a lack of clean and dry air.
LPR’s superfinishing machines come with a range of features and customization options. To improve the productivity and reduce the costs of operations, our machine allows 2-5 surfaces to be finished simultaneously. Clients can choose between manual and automatic options for loading and unloading. We can also custom design the machine to suit the various inner and outer diameter finishing, gear finishing or wheel hub finishing.
Learn more below about our superfinisher specifications and engineering expertise as a leading micro-grinding machine manufacturer in the automotive industry:
Superfinishing Machines Specifications 
Business Case 1: Superfinisher Solutions for Automotive Part Manufacturers in USA (PDF)
Our client needed to superfinish shock absorber piston rods with post chrome plating. The diameter of these pieces varied from 11 mm to 25 mm, with length from 100 mm to 640 mm and chrome-plated length between 50 and 440 mm. The required surface roughness after superfinishing was maximum Ra 0.05μm with a diameter tolerance of +/- 0.001mm.
We designed a superfinishing machine for the client with the following features:
The oscillation head’s ball-stroke system offers 1mm to 5mm oscillation strokes controlled by an inverter motor. The feed rollers are designed to move at adjustable speed per users’ production speed, and such adjustment is easily set with the tilting plate replacement.
The feeding system included a trimming belt and pulley controlled by an inverter motor.
The machine was equipped with Allen Bradley PLC and Schmersal parts for safety relay, following the client’s safety standards for electric control.
Business Case 2: Superfinishing Machine for Shock Absorber Piston Rod (PDF)
We provided our DSF-900 superfinisher (pdf) to a US shock absorber piston rods manufacturer. Our client wanted to achieve surface roughness of maximum Ra 0.05μm with a diameter tolerance of ±0.001mm and with a cycle time of 20 ft/min. They also required a changeover time of less than 30 minutes when rods of different diameters and lengths are loaded for superfinishing process.
First, we designed and manufactured setting jigs to accommodate the full range of rods’ diameters and lengths. Then we invented a unique roller-setting system imbedded with the formula to select a right size of setting jig accordingly when the rod size changes.
Second, we invented a quick-release stone holder and a stone guide to minimize human errors and reduce tooling change over time. DSF-900 Superfinishing Machine equipped with these inventions was able to meet the client’s cycle time while keeping the machine downtime to less than 20 minutes during the tool change time.
Superfinishing Machines | Tape Finishing
Our Tape-type Superfinishing Machines achieve consistently even finishes down to 0.01 Ra on a variety of automotive parts such as crankshafts, camshafts, engine valves, gear shafts and cylinders. By combining workpiece rotation and tool oscillation with the continuous feeding of abrasive 3M Microfinishing film, we provide superior surface finishes, free of the chatter marks seen with stone grinding. Our tape finishing solutions offer benefits including easy monitoring and operation, availability of customized attachments, and a durable mechanical oscillation system.
Other Microfinishing Solutions
- Lapping Machines: Our lapping machines are mainly used for finishing journal pins, oil seal parts, and crankshaft and camshaft flanges.
- Buffing Machines: The major application of our buffing machine is for processing the outer face of steering rack bars.
Lapping & Buffing Machines Specifications
Superfinishing Machines Automotive Parts | Microfinishing Solutions for Engine and Transmission Components
Engine Components
Transmission Components
Chassis Components
Superfinishing Machines for Engine and Transmission Component Manufacturers
As a grinding machine expert for the automotive industry we’re proud to be the largest grinding machine supplier to Hyundai-Kia, and a major superfinisher supplier to global tier 1 companies making engines and transmission components.
We strive to come up with machine and tool designs that allow minimum human errors and produce consistent quality independently from the operator’s experience.
Our exemplary clients and surface grinding machinery sold in the automotive industry include, but are not limited to:
Shock Absorber Surface Finish
Microfinishing Superfinisher for Automotive Parts Manufacturer in USA
Global Manufacturer’s Requirements: A US-based Tier 1 manufacturer contacted LPR Global with specific needs for automotive parts manufacturing equipment. They needed to superfinish shock absorber piston rods with post chrome plating.
The diameter of the workpieces ranged from 11 mm to 25 mm, with lengths of 100 mm to 640 mm, and chrome-plated length between 50 mm and 440 mm. The required surface roughness after superfinishing was maximum Ra 0.05 μm with a diameter tolerance of +/- 0.001 mm.
LPR’s Superfinisher Solution: We worked closely with the manufacturer’s engineering and technical teams to develop a solution that precisely met their surface roughness and tolerance requirements. We recommended a hydraulic actuated stone system instead of pneumatic one because the client’s plant had lack of clean and dry air, in which case the pneumatic stone system would lead to major maintenance problems. Then we designed and provided a stone guide with 8 sets of stones so that any operators could easily replace the stone within a very short time. We also designed a deformation-resistant feeding system by using trimming belt and a pulley controlled by an inverter motor.
The oscillation head’s ball-stroke system provided 1 mm to 5 mm oscillation strokes controlled by an inverter motor. As per the client’s safety standards for electric control, our machine was equipped with Allen Bradley PLC and Schmersal safety relay modules.
Superfinishers for Piston Rods
Custom Superfinishing Solutions for Customer’s Requirements
Global Manufacturer’s Requirements: A US-based Tier 1 manufacturer of shock absorber piston rods was interested in our DSF-900 superfinisher model. The client wanted to achieve surface roughness of maximum Ra 0.05 μm with a diameter tolerance of ±0.001 mm and a cycle time of 20 ft/min. They also required the changeover time for rods of different diameters and lengths to be less than 30 minutes.
LPR’s Superfinisher Solution: Our engineers analyzed what prevented the operator from quick tool change when they loaded a new set of rods on the thru-feed conveyor for superfinishing process. Then the engineers identified two ways to reduce tooling change time and the superfinisher’s down time: one is to minimize human errors and the other is to provide tool with a quick release design. Then we developed and introduced the feeding roller system for adjustable feeding speed and a quick release stone holder; the roller speed gets easily adjusted within a couple of minutes by using the tool imbedded with the feed roller system; a stone holder with a handle is introduced so the operator just needs to pull the handle down in order to release stones when needed.
The machine downtime was kept to less than 20 minutes during the tool change while the client keeps the tool changing task fool-proof for any operators.
Surface Grinding Machine for Automotive Rods
Providing Rebuild and Complete Overhaul with Maintenance, Spare and Wear Parts
A global tier-1 automotive parts supplier located in USA, who has been exclusively using our superfinishing machines for many years requested an overhaul for one of their superfinishing machines. With a cycle time of 20ft/min, the superfinishing machine was used heavily for processing shock absorber piston rods. The original installation was in 2013, and overall maintenance and refurbishing was direly needed as the maintenance for the machine in question was neglected due to the facility changing hands, and the machine’s condition was not up to our Korean manufacturer’s recommendations.
Working closely with our client and the superfinishing machine manufacturer, we conducted onsite surveys and meetings to identify current issues, suggest solutions and negotiate on finalizing the overhaul project including scope, price and schedule. While keeping time and cost as important aspects of this project, we strived to meet their expectations without sacrificing quality or our stringent safety standards.
Superfinishing Machine Overhaul – Machine Disassembly, Cleaning, Repair, Update, and Testing
It was agreed to undertake onsite repairs for several aspects of the machine including the electronics, such as the Allen Bradley PLC, and safety switches, mechanical parts such as the oscillation bar and roller unit among others. Old parts were cleaned and reused whenever possible, but new parts were installed when updates were requested or was more cost effective. For example, new feed in & out conveyors were also shipped from Korea as it was decided that a new conveyor was more cost effective than repairing the existing conveyor.
Splitting the work between the team of engineers onsite and the Korean manufacturer’s factory in Korea, the tasks were carried out on both fronts and then shipped out onsite to shorten the downtime of the machine. On site at the client’s factory in the US, a team of engineers from Korea carried out the repairs. From disassembling to cleaning and to repairs as well as updates, the engineers ensured that every task was up to the client’s specifications and requirements.
Superfinishing Machine – Full Service Support
From purchase, installation, maintenance and repairs, we at LPR Global will stand by our product and ensure that our machines are up to your standards by assisting you in every step of the way.
Superfinishing Machines | Lapping Machines
LPR Global provides a wide range of solutions to your finishing needs. Whether it is a standard machine or a customized one, we can meet your required roughness, cycle time, PLC preference, specific safety standards and integrate with your before and after processes.
Superfinishing Machines | Through Feed Finishing
• Workpiece: Piston pin
• Weight: 2.5 Tons
Superfinishing Machines | Through Feed Finishing
• Workpiece: Shock absorber rod
• Rollers are interchangeable with Supfina’s rollers
Crankshaft Lapping Machines
• Workpiece: Crankshaft
• Various models of crankshaft lapping machine are available upon request
Camshaft Lapping Machines
• Workpiece: Camshaft
• Various models of camshaft lapping machine are available upon request
