A TECHNICAL REPORT ON

MANUFACTURING OF ENGINE VALVES

A Dissertation submitted to the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University,

Hyderabad in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the award of degree of

BACHELOR OF TECHNOLOGY

IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

(2013-2017)

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

CMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

(Affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad)

Kandlakoya (V), Medchal Road, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh 501401

(2013-2017)

CMR INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

1
(Approved by AICTE & Affiliated to JNTU, HYDERABAD)
Kandlakoya (V), Medchal (M), Hyderabad -501401

Department of Mechanical Engineering

This is to certify that the project entitled

MANUFACTURING OF ENGINE
VALVES

A.SANTOSH (14R05A0302)

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of BACHELOR OF

TECHNOLOGY (Mechanical) to JNTU, Hyderabad. This record is a bonafide work
carried out by them under my guidan

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CONTENT
1 INTRODUCTION

2DEFINATION OF ENGINE VALVE

3CLASIFICATION OF ENGINE VALVE

4 OPERATING CONDITIONS OF ENGINE VALVE

5 MATERIAL SELECTION OF ENGINE VALVE
6 MANUFACTURING PROCESS
7 QUALITY CONTROL
8 INSPECTION

CONTENT

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1.1 INTRODUCTION
Manufacturing of engine valves is one of the largest manufacturing industry in India.
This manufacturing process includes chip removal process and heat treatment processes.
Engine valves are used in automotive industries for an IC engines. The function of
valves to regulate the air-fuel mixture in to the combustion chamber and burnt gases out
from the combustion chamber.

1.2 Definition of engine valve:

Valves are used to control gas flow to and from cylinders in automotive internal combustion
engines. The most common type of valve used is the poppet valve .The valve itself consists
of a disc-shaped head having a stem extending from its center at one side. The edge of the
head on the side nearest the stem is accurately ground at an angle usually 45 degrees, but
sometimes 30 degrees, to form the seating face. When the valve is closed, the face is pressed
in contact with a similarly ground seat.

The two main types of internal combustion engine are: spark ignition (SI) engines (petrol,
gasoline, or gas engines), where the fuel ignition is caused by a spark; and compression
ignition (CI) engines (diesel engines), where the rise in pressure and temperature is high
enough to ignite the fuel. Valves are used in these engines to control the induction and
exhaust processes.

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Both types of engine can be designed to operate in either two strokes of the piston or four
strokes of the piston. The four-stroke operating cycle can be explained by reference to
Fig. 1.3. This details the position of the piston and valves during each of the four strokes.

The induction stroke: The inlet valve is open. The piston moves down the
cylinder drawing in a charge of air.

The compression stroke: Inlet and exhaust valves are closed. The piston moves
up the cylinder. As the piston approaches the top of the cylinder (top dead centre
TDC) ignition occurs. In engines utilizing direct injection (DI) the fuel is injected
towards the end of the stroke.

The expansion stroke: Combustion occurs causing a pressure and temperature

rise Which pushes the piston down. At the end of the stroke the exhaust valve
opens.
The exhaust stroke: The exhaust valve is still open. The piston moves up forcing
exhaust gases out of the cylinder.

Four stroke Process

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1.3 CLASSIFICATIONS OF ENGINE VALVE:

ENGINE VALVE

INLET VALVE EXHUAST VALVE

1.3.1INLET VALVE:

Inlet Valve is that valve through which fuel or a mixture whose pressure in increased by
reducing its volume in intake into the cylinder. It allows the air-fuel mixture from intake
manifold to combustion chamber

There are at least only one inlet valve on each cylinder head. On equal number valve
heads inlet valves are larger in diameter than exhaust valves

1.3.2 EXHUST VALVE:

Exhaust valve is precision engine components used to open to permit the burned gases to
exhaust from cylinders. Therefore exhaust valve are exposed to serve thermal loads and
chemical corrosion. Exhaust valve are opens and closes as many as 2000 times per mile.

Exhaust valves are used to allow burnt and unburnt gasses to escape atmosphere. Exhaust
valves are normally smaller than inlet valves in diameter. There must be at least one
exhaust valve for each cylinder.

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1.4Types of engine valves:

1.4.1 Rotary valve:

Rotary valve has a hollow shaft which runs in the housing attached to the cylinder head.
The hollow shaft has two ports, one is inlet port and the other is exhaust port. At the time
of suction stroke, the inlet port meshes with the intake manifold and at the time of
exhaust stroke, the exhaust port meshes with the exhaust manifold. These valves function
very quickly but subjected to greater wear. Rotary valves are found unsuccessful because
of escaping of gasses and gumming up of its system.

1.4.2 Sleeve valves:

Engine cylinder liner has inlet port and exhaust port cut in it. Another sleeve has inlet and
exhaust openings. At the time of inlet, the inlet port of sleeve meshes with the inlet
opening of the cylinder and at the time of exhaust, the exhaust port of the sleeve meshes
with the outlet opening of the cylinder. The sleeve which has inlet and exhaust ports
move up and down and also rotates with the suitable mechanism. Due to greater wear in
the sleeves these valves are not in use.

1.4.3 Poppet valve:

A Poppet Valve is a valve in an engine primarily used for controlling the time and
quantity of fuel entering the engine. A poppet valve is also known as Mushroom Valve.
Poppet Valves are generally used in automobile engines. The poppet valve is a simple and
effective design used mainly for 2/2 and 3/2 functions. It has good sealing characteristics
and can often be the choice for a supply shut off valve. A poppet seal has a butt action
against a raised edged aperture. The poppet seal will give long life and supply to the port
assists the spring to hold the poppet shut. Valves are based either on the poppet principle
or slide principle. In poppet valves, a ball, a cone or a disc is pressed by a spring
against the seat of passage. The high pressure per unit area which is created means that
valves of this kind provide a very efficient seal. The valve stem moves up and down
inside the passage called guide, which is fitted in the engine block. The head of the

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valve is called as valve face and is generally ground to have a 45 degrees angle, so as to
fit properly on the valve seat in the block and prevent leakage.
A valve spring with a spring retainer aids the return of valve after operation. When the
cam rotates, the taper is lifted, thereby lifting the valve to open. in the closed position of
the valve a slight clearance is necessary between the valve tappet and the stem. This gap
is known as valve tappet clearance. This gap allows for the expansion of the valve stem
and other parts in the valve operating mechanism as the engine becomes heated. In the
construction, the valve seat and inserts are pressed into the cylinder block. These inserts
reduce wear and tear thereby preventing leakage and frequent replacing of the valve.

POPPET VALVE

2.0 OPERATING CONDITIONS

During each combustion event, high stresses are imposed on the combustion chamber
side of the valve head. These generate cyclic stresses peaking above 200 MN/m2 on the

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port side of the valve head. The magnitude of the stresses is a function of peak
combustion pressure. The stresses are much higher in a compression ignition engine than
a spark ignition engine.
It was not made clear whether these were experimental or theoretical values or whether
the valve was from a diesel or gasoline engine. The asymmetric distribution may have
been due to non-uniform cooling or deposit build-up affecting heat transfer from the
valve head. Exhaust valve temperatures are much higher. Although both inlet and exhaust
valves receive heat from combustion, the inlet valve is cooled by incoming air, whereas
the exhaust valve experiences a rapid rise in temperature in the valve head, seat insert,
and under head area from hot exhaust gases.

3.0 MATERIAL SELECTION OF ENGINE VALVE:

Most inlet valves are manufactured from hardened, martensitic, low-alloy steel. This
provides good strength and wear and oxidation resistance at higher temperature.

There are essentially two basic types of steel used to make valves. One is "martensitic"
steel and the other is "austenitic" steel. The difference is in the microstructure of the steel
and how the various ingredients in the alloy interact when the molten steel is cast and
cooled. This affects not only the hardness and strength of the steel, but also its corrosion
resistance and magnetic properties. As a rule, martensitic steels are magnetic while
austenitic steels are non-magnetic

In martensitic steel, the steel is "quenched" (cooled) very quickly from a molten state to
freeze the grain structure in a particular configuration. Under a microscope, the grain
structure has a needle-like (acicular) appearance. This makes the steel very hard but also
brittle. Reheating and cooling the steel (a process called "tempering") allows some of the
martensite crystals to rearrange themselves into other grain structures which are not as
hard or brittle. By carefully controlling the heat treatment and quenching process, the
hardness and tensile strength of the steel can be fine tuned to achieve the desired
properties.

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Steel alloys with a martensitic grain structure typically have a high hardness at room
temperature (35 to 55 Rockwell C) after tempering, which improves strength and wear
resistance. These characteristics make this type of steel a good choice for applications
such as engine valves.

Exhaust valves are subjected to high temperatures, thermal stresses, and corrosive gases.
Most exhaust valves are manufactured from austenitic stainless steels. These can be iron,
or nickel, based. Solid solution and precipitation strengthening provide the hot hardness
and creep resistance required for typical exhaust valve applications. The 21.4N
composition is widely used in diesel engine exhaust valve applications. This alloy has an
excellent balance of hot strength, corrosion resistance, creep resistance, fatigue
resistance, and wear properties at an acceptable cost. In heavy-duty diesel engine
applications higher strengths and creep resistances are attained by using superalloys as
valve materials. Valve seating face wear and corrosion can be reduced by applying seat
facing materials. Stellite facings are commonly used for passenger car applications.

3.1 The criteria for engine valve material:

Resistance to high-temperature corrosion [ ~700C ]

Hot strength (endurance strength at high temperature ) [ ~500MPa ]

Hot hardness [ strength at ~700C ]

Resistance to oxidation

Resistance to seizing and adhesive wear

Availability of material supplied

Overall cost (material and manufacturing costs)

Higher horsepower-to-weight ratio;

Resistance to seizing and galling

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 Lower specific fuel consumption;

Material Austenitic Ferritic Martenitic Duplex

(Ferritic-austenitic) SS

Standard 304 430 410 SAF2507

Yield strength 0.2% 42 50 45 80

Offset, ksi
Ultimate tensile strength 580 520 510 800
MPa
Elongation in 2 inches,% 55 25 25 15

Hardness(Rockwell) B80 B85 B80 C32

Density,lb/in3 0.29 0.28 0.28 0.28

Modulus of elasticity, 28 29 29 29
Mpsi

Coefficient of thermal 9.6 5.8 5.5 7.2

expansion,
/F(68-212F)

Austenitic Ferritic Martensitic Duplex

Resistance to
corrosion

Resistance to
seizing and
galling
Hot strength
(500Mpa)

Finally, the specific type of material that we choose is

Austenitic stainless steels

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 Martensitic stainless steels

4 MANUFACTURING PROCESS OF ENGINE VALVES:

Manufacturing of engine valves involve many complex processes that require a very high
level of precision. There many valve configurations depending on the specifications
given by the customer. Thus there are many different production lines operating
simultaneously to cater to the demand. Each line has a unique production sequence,
however some of the basic manufacturing processes being the same for most of them.

RAW MATERIAL

CUTTING

UPSETTING

FORGING

FRICTION WELDING

HEAT TREATMENT

SHOT BLASTING

STRIGHTENING

STEAM END CUT

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 STELLITE GROOVING

SEAT SETELLITING

TIP DRILLING

TIP SETELLITING

END GRINDING

ULTRASONIC INSPECTION

POST OD TRAINING

MACHINE SHOP

4.1 RAW MATERIAL - A Raw material or feedstock is the basic material from which a
product is manufactured or made, frequently used with an extended meaning. First, the
raw material (Stainless Steel rod) is undergoing hot direct extrusion to get the required
diameter.
The bars are usually supplied in the form of very long rods (about 4200mm), which are then
cut to an approximate length before forging

4.2 CUTTING:
The rods are cut to an approximate length of about 263mm before upsetting. Allowances are
given before cut-off to provide machining allowances

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4.3 UPSETTING:
After the raw material is undergoing extrusion, the next step is upsetting process. This
process purpose is to give initial shape that will be forwarded to next step that is forging
process.
Steps:
1. The steel is heated by electrical resistance between two contacts.
2. As the steel reaches its plastic temperature more material if forced through the contact
by a hydraulic ram until enough volume is "upset" to make the pre-form.
3. Then, the pre-form is then passed immediately to the forge.
The bars then undergo the electric upsetting process wherein the bars are placed in an
upsetting M/C and electrical resistance is made to pass through one of its ends. Feed is
given at the other end. This causes the top end of the bar to deform into a molten bulb.
This bulb formation is due to the heat generated due to electrical resistance passing
through the upper end of the bar. There are indentions on the anvil to ensure that the bar
does not bend during upsetting. The electrical resistance raises the temperature to about
970 C to 1070C. The indentions in the anvil deform over a period of time due to
repeated upsetting. Electrical upsetting makes a smooth material flow and reduces fatigue
occurred during forging process. The upsetting machine is water cooled and the work
piece holder has to be replaced from time to time because of wear. The upsetting machine
is followed immediately by drop forging process.

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 UPSETTING

4.4 FORGING:

Immediately after upsetting, when the bulb is still in the molten form it is made to
undergo drop forging. Given the requirements of the pattern, the tolerances are given in
the cavity of the die to provide a recess formation. The forging operation for the pattern is
done under a load of 125 tones. After forging the valve samples are inspected for any
form of deformation that might have occurred during upsetting or. forging. The deformed

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ones cannot be used again and are considered as scrap. There are presses of different
capacities for different valves such as 125, 185 and 280 tones. These presses require
careful handling as there must be minimum time lag between upsetting and drop forging
processes. The die must be changed after a certain period of time. Usually the die is
changed after forging 500 valves approximately.
Temperature (usually room temperature) then it is deemed cold forging. Forging refines
the grain structure and improves physical properties of the metal. With proper design, the
grain flow can be oriented in the direction of principal stresses encountered in actual use.
Grain flow is the direction of the pattern that the crystals take during plastic deformation.
Physical properties (such as strength, ductility and toughness) are much better in a
forging than in the base metal, which has, crystals randomly oriented. All of the following
forging processes can be performed at various temperatures, however they are generally
classified by whether the metal temperature is above or below the recrystallization
temperature. If the temperature is above the material's recrystallization temperature it is
deemed hot forging; if the temperature is below the material's recrystallization
temperature but above 310ths of the recrystallization temperature (on an absolute scale)
it is deemed warm forging; if below 310ths of the recrystallization

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4.5 FRICTION WELDING:
Friction welding is a process of joining head diameter of the engine valve with the
straight rod use fully automatic machine. It is needed only for the bimetallic valve.
Friction welding technology is a completely mechanical solid-phase process in which
heat generated by friction is used to create high-integrity joint between similar or
dissimilar metals, and even thermoplastics
In Friction Welding the quality control cost is minimal with a guarantee for high quality
welds and the weld cycle is also very short

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 Friction welding

4.6 HEAT TREAMENT

The next step after the exhaust valve had been forged is heat treatment.
Heat treatment of these grades consists of solution treatment so as to get a single phase
structure. Heat treatment process of engine valves are completed into three steps

HEAT TREAMENT

HARDENING QUENCHING TEMPERING

4.6.1 HARDENING:

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The process of hardening is applied to materials and components intended for special heavy-
duty service as well as to all parts made of alloy steel. The purpose of hardening with
subsequent tempering is to improve strength, elasticity, and toughness and to develop high
hardness to resist wear. The process consists of heating the material to a high temperature
above the critical point, holding at this temperature for a considerable period and then
quenching in water oil or in a molten salt bath. The temperature of the pit-furnace heating
coil is maintained at about 1000C to 1200C. After smoke stops, the lid is firmly shut,
causing the temperature within the pit-furnace to rise steeply. The temperature of the valves
too rises due to this. Once the temperatures of the valves reach the temperatures of the
heating coils, an indicator is illuminated on the operators panel. By this time (usually about
75 to 90 minutes), the valves and the tray carrying them will be glowing-hot. This happens as
the temperature of the valves and the tray is around 1000C.
The valves are removed from the pit-furnace and immediately immersed into an oil-bath to
undergo Quenching. The oil is stored in an open oil-bath at about 90C. Water lines are
passed through the oil-bath to maintain the temperature. As soon as the vales are removed
along with the tray, they are immersed in this bath. Care needs to be taken while immersing
the tray into the oil-bath. The oil being petroleum-based, the red-hot valves and the valve
trays cause the oil to burn instantaneously. This happens only till the valves are completely
immersed in the oil. Once the valves are cooled to a considerable temperature, they are
removed from the oil. The valves are then unloaded and then sent for tempering.

4.6.2 QUENCHING:
Quenching is the rapid cooling of a work piece to obtain certain material properties. It
prevents low-temperature processes, such as phase transformations, from occurring by
only providing a narrow window of time in which the reaction is both thermodynamically
favorable and kinetically accessible. For instance, it can reduce crystalline and thereby
increase toughness of Stainless Steel rod.
Quenching metals is a progression; the first step is soaking the metal, i.e. heating it to the
required temperature. Soaking can be done by air (air furnace), or a bath. The soaking
time in air furnaces should be 1 to 2 minutes for each millimeter of cross-section. For a
bath the time can range a little higher. The recommended time allotment in salt or lead

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baths is 0 to 6 minutes. Uneven heating or overheating should be avoided at all cost. Most
materials are heated from anywhere to 815 to 900 C (1,500 to 1,650 F).

4.6.3 TEMPERING
Untempered martensitic steel, while very hard, is too brittle to be useful for most
applications. A method for alleviating this problem is called tempering heating a quench
hardened or normalized ferrous alloy to a temperature below the transformation range to
produce desired changes in properties. The object of tempering or drawing is to reduce
the brittleness in hardened steel and to remove the internal strains Caused by the sudden
cooling in the quenching bath. The tempering process consists in heating the steel by
various means to a certain temperature and then cooling it. When steel is in a fully
hardened condition, its structure consists largely of martensite. On reheating to a
temperature of from about 300 to 750F., a softer and tougher structure known as troostite
is formed. If the steel is reheated to a temperature of from 750 to 1290F, a structure
known as a sorbite is formed, this has somewhat less strength than troostite, but much
greater ductility. Tempering consists of heating a steel below the lower critical
temperature, (often from 400 to 1105 F or 205 to 595 C, depending on the desired
results), to impart some toughness. Higher tempering temperatures, (may be up to 1,300
F or 700 C, depending on the alloy and application), are sometimes used to impart
further ductility, although some yield strength is lost.
Tempering may also be performed on normalized steels. Other methods of tempering
consist of quenching to a specific temperature, which is above the martensite start
temperature, and then holding it there until pure binate can form or internal stresses can
be relieved. These include austenitic tempering and martenitic tempering.

ANNEALING:
After forge inspection and straightening, the valves are made to undergo the annealing
process. Annealing is one of the most important widely used operations in the heat
treatment of steel. The purpose of annealing is to soften the steel, improve machinability,
increase toughness and hardness, relieve internal stresses, and refine grain size and to
prepare the steel for subsequent heat treatment. Passing the valves through the annealing

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process zone does this. The actual process zone about 2.7 meters long. The valves are
raised to a temperature of about 700 C to 900 C, depending on the nature of the
material. The operator can manually control the temperature within the zone. The
operator can also control the speed of the bed through the annealing zone. Under normal
circumstances, the valves are made to pass through the zone in one hour. Immediately at
the exit of the annealing zone, the valves are cooled using a blast of cold air.

4.7 SHOT BLASTING:

Shot blasting is done after annealing to clean the valves. This cleaning involves the
removal of physical forms of scales attached to the surface of the valves. It also provides
a very aesthetic appearance to the valve. This process also helps in increasing the
hardness of the material of the valve. The shot-blasting chamber is a cubicle chamber into
which about 300 valves can be loaded for one operation. The valves are then blasted onto
each other and simultaneously a blast of tiny metal balls is directed at the valves.
Spherical steel shots used-s230 grade-450 VHN (52 kg/bed). This cleans the valves are
annealing and the blast of these tiny metal balls increases the hardness of the material of
the valve.

SHOT BLASTING MACHINE

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4.8 PTA Process:
The acronym PTA stands for PLASMA TRANFER ARC. This process is done to deposit
stellite on the valve head in the recess. The deposition takes place under plasma state,
which happens to be the fourth state of existence. Stellite is available in the form of a
powder.
Given below is the composition of stellite. The stellite used is the PTA welding process is
grade F. The following composition is the percentage by weight of the constituents of
stellite.
1. Carbon: 1.5% to2%
2. Chromium: 23% to 27%
3. Tungsten (W): 10.5% to 13.5%
4. Silicon: Max. 1.5%
5. Nickel: 20.5% to 24.5%
6. Iron (Fe): Max. 3%
7. Manganese: Max. 0.6%
8. Cobalt: Rest

The hardfacing of engine valve seats, which is a high volume process, was originally
done using Oxyfuel welding (OFW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) processes.
However since the 1980s hardfacing of engine valves has gone steadily toward PTA due
to its consistently repeatable quality, productivity and enhanced deposit characteristics.
Engine valve seats experience a variety of wear modes such as erosion, adhesion, galling,
corrosion and fatigue. Demands like fuel efficiency, power-to-volume rating increase, and
fuel quality impose further strains on the valves. Cobalt-based alloys have proven to be
effective under such circumstances and a host of cobalt based alloys are now used in the
automotive industry for wear resistance. Precise control of the hardfacing alloys that go
into each valve is of paramount importance from a cost standpoint. The metering of the
alloy must be controlled to a fraction of a gram, and PTA offers the advantage of precise
feed stock delivery, consistent hard face quality, and low rejection rates. In addition to

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cobalt-based alloys, several nickel-based alloys that depend on borides and carbides for
hardness are also used for hard facing engine valves.

Stellite Deposition

Arc welding is extensively employed. Here the source of heat is an arc. The arc column is
generated between an anode, which is the positive pole of DC power supply, and the
cathode, the negative pole. When these two conductors of an electric circuit are brought
together and separated for a small distance (2 to 4mm) such that the current continues to
flow through a path of ionized particles (gaseous medium), called plasma, an electric arc
is formed. This ionized gas column acts as a high resistance conductor that enables more
ions to flow from the anode to the cathode. Heat is generated as the ions strike the
cathode. This ion theory does not of course explain the arc column. Electrical energy is
converted into heat energy. Approximately 1kWh of electricity will create 250 calories
(1000 J), the temperature at the center of the arc being 6000C to 7000C. The
temperature of the arc, of course depends upon the type of electrodes between which it is
struck. The heat of the arc raises the temperature of the parent material, which is melted
forming a pool of molten metal. The blast of the arc forces the molten metal out of the
pool, thus forming a small depression in the parent metal, around which the molten metal
is piled up. This is known as the arc crater. The distance through the center of the arc
from the tip of the electrode to the bottom of the arc crater is termed as arc length. The

23
arc length is a vital variable in a welding process and should be 3 to 4 mm. an important
reason for this is that the globules of molten electrode metal in the process of deposition
should have the smallest possible chance of coming in contact with the ambient air and
should absorb as little oxygen from it as possible because oxygen has an adverse effect on
the mechanical properties of the weld metal.

Stellite deposition on the valve seat

Dilution factor of the PTA is very less 5% when compare with 20-25% typically obtained
when hard facing by MGAW, TIG. The stellite powder is melted at a temperature above
6000 C and then deposited in the recess portion in two layers. To prevent cracks on the
surface of the valve, the valves are pre-heated to about 100 C to 150 C. the nozzle of
the PTA machine generates a pilot arc at all times to ionize the surroundings around the
valve bed. This ionization of the surroundings takes place mainly to maintain an inert
atmosphere around the bed. The pre-heated valve is placed on the bed of the PTA welding
machine. The bed rotates during deposition of stellite. The rotation of the bed is to ensure
than the stellite is deposited uniformly in the recess portion. The stellite deposited in the
recess forms a bead. The excess stellite from the bead formation will be removed during
further machining of the valve head.
The advantage of using PTA welding over the normal TIG welding is the shape of the arc
generated. TIG welding generated a conical arc whereas the PTA welding generates a

24
cylindrical arc. After the PTA process is over, the valves are inspected for blowholes.
Cross-sectional analysis is also done to randomly selected samples to ascertain if the
stellite has flowed into the valve face. The analysis can also help in ensuring that the
minimum 1.2mm face thickness is maintained uniformly all-around the face of the valve.
After the PTA deposition, the samples were taken to the laboratory where alarming levels
of inclusions were found in the parent material of the valve in a particular batch. Due to
alarming levels of inclusions in the parent material of the valve, the risk of failure of the
component during operation arises to a large extent. Hence the material supplier was
contacted to ensure the delivery of flaw-less parent materials. It was also found that,
during deposition of stellite, the parent material was getting melted at the interface due to
the high temperatures subjected upon the parent material during stellite deposition. Hence
immediate corrective measures were taken to ensure that the valve land thickness at the
recess remains the same after stellite deposition to avoid any possibility of the stellite
reaching the surface of the valve face. The following were the parameters observed from
the PTA process.

1. Deposit weight 10.3grams/valve (average of 5nos.)

2. Turning Device speed 0.20 RPM

3. Plasma gas flow rate 2.5 LPM

4. Protection gas flow rate 12 LPM
5. Powder gas flow rate 1.5 LPM

4.9 STRAIGHTENING:
The first straightening operation is performed on valves, which suffer from stem run-out.
Stem run-out can be corrected by allowing the bent stem to be worked upon by a trio of
rollers. These rollers straighten the stem without affecting the physical properties of the
stem.
4.10 STEM END CUT - After straighten process the length of stem of the engine
valve is increases due to increases in the straightness of the stem. So the undesirable

25
length of the stem is cut by the cutter. the length of the stem is taken as fixed standard
which are followed by the company.
4.11 STELLITE GROOVING - This process is used to increase the strength of the stet
of the engine valve. In this process a groove is made at the valve seat in which filler
material is filled.
4.12 SEAT SETELLITING - The follow up process after the heat treatment is satellite
welding process. Stellite is a special alloy that welded onto the seat. Purpose is to
improve the corrosion and high temperature wear resistance, mainly in valves; a cord of
special material is placed onto the valve seat.
4.13 TIP SETELLITING - The next process is tip hardening process. The fully
Automated machine is used which is Valve Stem-End Induction Hardening machine that
can provide perfect quality of hardening. The purpose of this process is to increase the
wear resistant of the tip since this part is continuously pounded by camshaft during the
operation of exhaust valve. Increasing the cyclic crack resistance of structural parts.

4.14 TIP ROUGH GRINDING:

Grinding is a finishing process used to improve surface finish, abrade hard materials, and
tighten the tolerance on flat and cylindrical surfaces by removing a small amount of
material. In engine valve production, the grinding processes apply on step by step to get
accurate dimensions.
4.15 FACE FINISHING:
The valves were loaded into the chute of the CNC M/C and were pneumatically loaded into
the job-chuck. Cooling fluid is used during this operation ensure smooth operation and longer
tool life.

4.16 HEAD DIAMETRIC TURNING:

After completing the PTA welding process, the cleared samples are then turned to reach
the required head diameter. During the turning operation, the insert may be forced to
remove some of the stellite, which has been deposited along the periphery of the valve
head. Stellite, being harder than the parent material of the valve, the insert to be used
should be able to withstand the loading while machining stellite. Although the tool life

26
was long during the earlier THD process, the tool-life is bound to decrease as it is forced
to machine the harder stellite coating on the periphery of the valve face.

4.17 TURN SEAT:

After inspecting and checking the dimension of the valve head diameter, the valve seat is
machined to remove the bead formation and the excess stellite. Stellite, being harder than
the parent material of the valve, the insert to be used should be able to withstand the
loading while machining stellite.
4.18 TIP HARDENING:
The next process is tip hardening process. Valve stem-end induction hardening machine is
used and can provide perfect quality of hardening. The purpose of this process is to
increase the wear resistance of the tip since this part is continuously pounded by cam
shaft during the operation of engine valve. This process is to increase hardness of the tip
of valve to 52 HRC. Also the hardness length is about 18-20 mm and hardness depth is
about 2-3mm.
After tip hardening, tempering process apply on again. This time, valve is heated to
200C and held it for around 10 seconds. Obviously, after this process the hardness is
decrease but this decreasing is about 2-3 HRC. The reason of this process is to decrease
the tip brittleness.

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 Cross-sectional view of finished valve induction hardening

4.19 GROOVE & VALVE GRINDING:

In this step, valve groove and valve tip also take their exact dimensions and angles. For
example: in Hyundai excel exhaust valve: groove has these dimensions and angles:
groove radius R0.570.05, and distance between two grooves 20.025 mm. valve tip
final diameter 4.45- 0.15 mm, tip hatch dimensions 0.545.
4.20 SURFACE FINISHING:
The final step of engine valve production is surface finishing. In this step, engine valve
surface is processed to specific surface roughness. For Hyundai Excel automobile engine
valve, the surface roughness is between 0.8 and 3 micron.
MARKING:
In this step, valves take their names and ready for quality control and packing.

5. QUALITY CONTROL:
Specialized technician is provided with highly accurate tools such as contour measuring
instruments, form and positional measuring instruments, surface roughness tester, profile

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projectors, qualified metrology staff also works in this area in order to achieve the best
quality.

5.1. ULTRASONIC INSPECTION During the manufacturing process there is some

chance of forming of blow hole or crack inside the engine valve. so it is necessary to
found these blow hole or crack inside the engine valve. so ultrasonic inspection is used
for this purpose. In ultrasonic testing (UT), very short ultrasonic pulse-waves with
center frequencies ranging from 0.1-15 MHz and occasionally up to 50 MHz are
launched into materials to detect internal flaws or to characterize materials. The technique
is also commonly used to determine the thickness of the test object, for example, to
monitor pipework corrosion. Ultrasonic testing is often performed on steel and other
metals and alloys, though it can also be used on concrete, wood and composites, albeit
with less resolution. It is a form of non-destructive testing used in many industries
including aerospace, automotive and other transportation sectors.

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5.2. Final Inspection:
The final inspection of the valves is carried out in the final inspection department. This
department takes care of checking the final tolerance parameters, processing finished
work-orders and packaging of passed valves. The FI department is also supposed to
maintain a database on the work-orders passed. This database is to be segregated by
creating an index of various patterns. This database should also contain data about the
number of valves passed per work-order, the number of rejections, reason for rejection
and the process after which samples were rejected.

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 (a) Valves Overall
Body
(b) Valve Head
before Upsetting
(c) Valve head after
upsetting
(d) Valve After
Forging and
friction welding
processes
(e) Valve after stem and seat grinding
(f) Valve stem after stem rough grinding
(g) Valve after tip grinding
(h) Valve after full body grinding
(i) Valve after surface finishing

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