A high efficiency grinding machine for grinding the pin on a crankshaft has a machining space with a grinding wheel mounted on the lower end of an arm to form a pendulum assembly. A headstock supports the crankshaft in the machining space. A pivot drive rocks the pendulum assembly back and forth equal distances about the equilibrium position causing the grinding wheel to follow the non-circular path of a pin as the crankshaft as it is rotated about its elongated axis.

A high efficiency grinding machine for grinding the pin on a crankshaft has a machining space with a grinding wheel mounted on the lower end of an arm to form a pendulum assembly. A headstock supports the crankshaft in the machining space. A pivot drive rocks the pendulum assembly back and forth equal distances about the equilibrium position causing the grinding wheel to follow the non-circular path of a pin as the crankshaft as it is rotated about its elongated axis.

A finishing device includes a finishing belt, a finishing belt holding device, a first drive configured to rotationally drive a workpiece about a workpiece axis, and a second drive configured to oscillate the workpiece and the finishing belt relative to another along the workpiece axis. The finishing belt holding device has a holding section configured to hold a portion of the finishing belt. The portion has an active area configured to finish a circumferential workpiece surface. The portion extends in a plane which is vertical when referring to the direction of gravity and extends in a horizontal direction when referring to the direction of gravity and when viewing in the running direction of the finishing belt. The finishing device includes a workpiece holding device defining a workpiece holding axis which is vertical when referring to the direction of gravity.

A finishing apparatus includes a workpiece-receiving device, a rotary drive configured to drive a workpiece in rotation about a workpiece axis and an oscillatory drive configured to produce a relative movement between the workpiece and a finishing tool in a direction that is parallel to the workpiece axis. A workpiece-conveying device has a workpiece holder that is moveable by a drive device between a working position in which the workpiece is in position to be machined and a loading/unloading position in which the workpiece is loadable/unloadable. The workpiece holder has a support device configured to support the workpiece. The drive device is formed as a swivel drive such that the workpiece holder is swivelable between the working position and the loading/unloading position along an arcuate swivel path.

A finishing device for finish machining of a workpiece, in particular of a crankshaft or a camshaft, comprising a workpiece holder and a rotary drive for rotating the workpiece about the workpiece axis thereof, comprising at least one first finishing tool for machining a main bearing concentric to the workpiece axis and at least one second finishing tool for machining an additional bearing, wherein the finishing tools can be moved along a transport axis which extends via a working area defined by the workpiece holder so that the finishing tools can be moved into an additional area arranged outside the working area.

A finishing device for finish machining of a workpiece, in particular of a crankshaft or a camshaft, comprising a workpiece holder and a rotary drive for rotating the workpiece about the workpiece axis thereof, comprising at least one first finishing tool for machining a main bearing concentric to the workpiece axis and at least one second finishing tool for machining an additional bearing, wherein the finishing tools can be moved along a transport axis which extends via a working area defined by the workpiece holder so that the finishing tools can be moved into an additional area arranged outside the working area.

A crankshaft with improved seizure resistance is provided. A crankshaft includes a journal and a pin, each of the journal and pin having such a surface geometry that the arithmetical mean height of the primary profile, Pa, is 0.090 μm or smaller and the reduced peak height Rpk is 0.070 μm or smaller. As used herein, arithmetical mean height of a primary profile Pa is defined in JIS B 0601 (2001), and reduced peak height Rpk is defined in JIS B 0671 (2002).

A crankshaft with improved seizure resistance is provided. A crankshaft includes a journal and a pin, each of the journal and pin having such a surface geometry that the arithmetical mean height of the primary profile, Pa, is 0.090 μm or smaller and the reduced peak height Rpk is 0.070 μm or smaller. As used herein, arithmetical mean height of a primary profile Pa is defined in JIS B 0601 (2001), and reduced peak height Rpk is defined in JIS B 0671 (2002).

Systems and methods are provided for detecting contact between a manufacturing apparatus and an article being worked upon by the manufacturing apparatus. Vehicles that include the article are also provided. The system includes the manufacturing apparatus configured to perform a process on the article, a signal transmitter configured to apply an input signal to the article with during the process such that the input signal is conducted through the article, a signal receiver configured to monitor a first component of the manufacturing apparatus to detect conduction of the input signal through the first component with during the process, and a signal processor configured to determine whether contact has occurred between the first component of the manufacturing apparatus and the article based on the detection of the input signal by the signal receiver.

Systems and methods are provided for detecting contact between a manufacturing apparatus and an article being worked upon by the manufacturing apparatus. Vehicles that include the article are also provided. The system includes the manufacturing apparatus configured to perform a process on the article, a signal transmitter configured to apply an input signal to the article with during the process such that the input signal is conducted through the article, a signal receiver configured to monitor a first component of the manufacturing apparatus to detect conduction of the input signal through the first component with during the process, and a signal processor configured to determine whether contact has occurred between the first component of the manufacturing apparatus and the article based on the detection of the input signal by the signal receiver.