Making a billet crankshaft

[breakaway500]

Astounding technology…

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[horizenjob]

That looks like one expensive machine. I think what I'll land up with is just a robot sitting in my backyard under a tree with a billet and a file.

I wonder how good the result is. It's funny the way the door opens behind the stock, a couple of times I expected to see a human arm to reach out and hand the machine it's next piece of tooling. In one shot they show a huge wheel with all the tooling mounted on it. Looked like 30 or more different attachments.

[cuda6666]

When I was in college, I worked in a crankshaft grinding shop - so I can really appreciate this machine. To grind each journal, I'd have to manually adjust the crank in the jig so that the one journal rotated true. Then I'd have to move the 3 ft diameter grinding wheel into the journal without hitting the adjourning journals that were flailing around. Screw that up and there would be pieces of grinding wheel flying around the room. Don't ask how I know.

[breakaway500]

At 13:06 they show the completed crank..rotating, and I can't help wonder what it fits. Looks like a V6..3 rod throws..with offset rod centers. Thing of beauty! Nothing left but what is needed. Formula 1 uses 90 degree V6 turbo engines for 2015 and Germany does make engines for them. They can afford a $40-50k crank..or two. Wild guess.