Post Grind Hardening, an Alternative Method of Manufacturing a Steel Roller Camshaft

The current procedure used in the manufacture of a steel camshaft for either passenger car or industrial engine application is basically the same irregardless of manufacturer. Usually the process starts with a forged blank which requires an extensive amount of material to be removed before it resembles a camshaft. At some point in the process, after the forging has been received, and before the lobes are ground, the part is hardened. This type of processing has never attained high volumes due to high manufacturing costs and low productivity levels.

This paper presents an alternate method of manufacturing a steel camshaft which eliminates these drawbacks and makes steel viable for high volume cam production The method utilizes a new forging technique and hardening the lobes of the camshaft after they are finish ground (post grind hardening).