Metric Automotive Engineering has made a major investment in new technology thereby significantly boosting the company’s crankshaft grinding capacity. The massive new machine is capable of grinding crankshafts with a length of up to 4.7 metres and a weight of up to 5 ton.

The massive new machine at Metric Automotive Engineering is capable of grinding crankshafts with a length of up to 4.7 metres and a weight of up to 5 ton.
The massive new machine at Metric Automotive Engineering is capable of grinding crankshafts with a length of up to 4.7 metres and a weight of up to 5 ton.

Andrew Yorke, operations director at Metric Automotive Engineering, says the new machine which is already hard at work will allow the company to service those customers with larger diesel engines. “We are seeing the heavy diesel market move to bigger engines, from 16 cylinders to 18 and even up to 20 cylinders,” Yorke says.

“Obviously this has meant a commensurate increase in crankshaft length, and prior to the commissioning of the new machine, we could not handle those lengths. The new crankshaft grinder has given us substantial grinding capacity both in length and weight,” Yorke says.

The capacity of the new machine will allow this leading diesel engine component remanufacturer to offer its services across a spectrum of sectors industries including diesel locomotive engine rebuilders and marine engine rebuilders.

Commenting on the significant capital investment, Yorke says that there has not been a new machine of comparable size brought into the country for over 35 years, and that a new benchmark in terms of crankshaft grinding capability and quality has been set by the company.

The machine has been installed on a special anti-vibration base to lower any natural frequencies of the grind that could result in potential interference. In addition to this, the machine is paired with a set of compensators which dramatically improves the grinding tolerances achieved by helping to eliminate ovality and taper.

In addition to crankshaft grinding, Metric Automotive Engineering also offers non-destructive crack testing, hardness testing and crankshaft inspection and crankshaft polishing. “We are now able to offer a total solution for our customers’ crankshaft requirements,” Yorke says.

Metric Automotive Engineering is South Africa’s most comprehensively equipped heavy diesel engine component remanufacturer. Established as a family business in 1969, the company has a strong ethos of investing in both quality equipment and skilled personnel. Staying abreast of market trends gives the company an edge and this, together with a customer centric approach has sustained the company since its inception.

Other services offered by Metric Automotive Engineering include cylinder head remanufacture, cylinder block line boring, milling, honing and boring, camshaft grinding, crankshaft grinding, engine assembly and dynamometer testing. Sister company, Reef Fuel Injection Services offers Bosch, Delphi and Denso approved fuel injection services and is acknowledged as the specialist in CAT fuel systems.

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