Simulation study on modified coil configuration used for shrink fitting of semi-built-up crankshaft and parameters influencing the thermal distribution

Semi-built-up crankshafts are universally manufactured by shrink-fitting process with induction heating device. The configurations of induction coil have a great impact on the distributions of eddy current and temperature of crankthrows. Most induction devices are apt to cause some undesirable phenomena such as uneven temperature distribution and irregular deformation after induction heating. This article proposes a modified configuration of induction heating coil according to the crankthrow geometry. By combining the heat conduction equation and the heat boundary conditions, a three-dimensional finite element model, which takes into account the nonlinearity of the material’s electromagnetic and thermal physical properties in the heating process, was developed. The influence of several parameters, such as position and curvature of the arc coil, the current frequency and density, coaxiality of crankweb hole and coil, influencing the temperature distribution inside the crankthrow was also analyzed. The comparison with the numerical simulation results of the original configuration indicates that the modified configuration has better adaptability to the crankthrow. Also, it can help to improve the temperature distribution, and reduce the deformation of the shrink-fitting hole. This exploration provide an effective way for the enterprise to further enhance the shrink-fitting quality of crankshaft.