Tooling Gives Racing Team the Winning Edge

Split seconds make the difference in the racing world, just as thousandths of an inch do in precision machining. One racing team turned to BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling for a solution to a major tooling problem relating to a custom-built turbocharger.

The team’s previous supplier couldn’t deliver the tolerances, concentricity and finish to make the turbocharger a winner. Its housing required a series of bores in a 22" long magnesium casting. The deep, precision bores intersect each other to form a figure-8 pattern, which required difficult, interrupted cuts. The precision bores house the screws and have to mesh very tightly to prevent loss of efficiency and power that can make all the difference on the race track.

Boring in magnesium, a flammable material, added to the difficulty. The team’s manufacturing shop was concerned that intense heat created by a high-speed boring operation could start burning, putting expensive machine tools and the safety of their operators at risk.

EWN 310 Finish Boring Head used to make a series of of bores in a 22" long magnesium casting for a turbochager.

BIG Kaiser’s solution was a twin cutter for rough boring to about 5 3/4". A similar tool combination for finish boring was built from modular components consisting of a CAT50 shank with simultaneous fit shim design, extension adapter, and precision adjustment EWN 310 finish boring head. To cope with the deep bore and close tolerances, a poly-crystalline diamond (PCD) insert was selected to offer the highest resistance to the abrasive wear of magnesium.

The finish boring was run on a horizontal machining center at 380SFM and a feedrate .003”/rev. Tolerance over the full 22" length of the workpiece was maintained to less than 0.0008” (half of the initial requirement), concentricity and roundness was 0.0005" and surface finish exceeded expectations.

By partnering with BIG Kaiser, the team has achieved the manufacturing precision to bore this critical engine component, giving it the power to win. The rigid tool assembly featuring dual contact, balanced design and accurate diameter adjustment made the difference to succeed. BIG Kaiser has the tooling solutions to help its partners achieve their manufacturing goals.