Crankshaft Weights

Wolfmet tungsten alloy is an excellent material to manufacture tungsten alloy crankshaft weights for use in crankshaft balancing. All engines need perfectly balanced crankshafts to ensure optimised performance. If a crankshaft is not correctly balanced the consequences can be severe. These include reduced lifetime, excessive vibration and a loss of power from the engine. This is even more important in high performance engines and high power diesel units. Stresses caused by imbalance in these engines can cause early failure.

The high density of tungsten alloy means it can be used to produce compact, highly durable tungsten alloy crankshaft weights for use in crankshaft balancing. Tungsten alloy crankshaft weights can be placed in the precise location where they are needed to provide optimum performance. Tungsten alloy crankshaft weights are smaller than equivalent steel weights which means external balancing may not be needed in engines where internal space is limited.

Experience is Key

Our experts at M&I Material can machine Wolfmet into a wide variety of shapes and to very tight tolerances, allowing the creation of bespoke precision crankshaft weights. M&I Materials has more than 40 years of experience in working with Wolfmet Tungsten Alloy. We are happy to work with customers to produce the perfect solution.

We excel in manufacturing tungsten crankshafts weights for applications such as Motorsport, Marine Diesel and Off Highway.

Benefits of Wolfmet for Crankshaft Weights

• Very high density; allows for smaller balance weights
• M&I experts can machine tungsten alloys to tight tolerances
• Tough and durable
• wolfmet is manufactured in the UK to the highest British standards
• Over 40 years’ experience in tungsten

For more information about Wolfmet or how we can help you with your project, please contact us via [email protected] or talk to us today by calling +44 (0)161 864 5454.

Wolfmet tungsten alloys can be used in a variety of applications including radiation shielding, balancing, ballast and anti-vibration devices.

To find out more, click download or contact us today.

About Crankshaft Weights

At low engine speeds, it is generally not necessary to provide balance weighting to counter the rotating mass of the Conrod journal (crankpin) and the part of the con rod mass that can be considered to rotate along with the crankpin. However, the forces exerted by these rotating masses do increase proportionally with the stroke of the crankshaft and the square of engine speed. Therefore, as engine speeds increase, so does the need for crankshaft counterbalancing. The number of crankshaft counterweights used on a crankshaft can vary. For example, some crankshafts will have a pair of counterweights opposite each crankpin, while other crankshafts will not have as many.

By placing counterweights on opposite sides of the Conrod journals of the crankshaft it is possible to compensate for outer moments, minimise internal moments and therefore reduce the amount of vibration and bearing stresses. The result is a smoother running, longer lasting engine.

Depending on operating conditions and other factors such as desired crankshaft bearing life, different amounts of balance can be employed to provide different engine performance advantages. Consequently, the size and mass of the crankshaft counterweight can vary.

Adding Crankshaft Counterweights

The most cost effective way to implement crankshaft counterweights is to form them from the crankshaft material itself, but this can result in large counterweights. This can be a disadvantage where space is limited, or when the additional friction caused by the counterweight reduces engine performance. In this case the size of the crankshaft weight can be reduced by manufacturing it from a high density material such as Wolfmet tungsten alloy, often referred to as ‘heavy metal’ in the trade.

High performance engines used in motorsport and supercars will use crankshaft counterweights manufactured from Wolfmet in order to reduce the size of the counterweight and with it the overall profile of the crankshaft, The benefits of improved engine performance delivered by a balanced crankshaft are thus enhanced by an engine with a lower centre of gravity that can be positioned lower down in the vehicle giving the vehicle itself a lower centre of gravity.

Engines used in armoured vehicles, off road machinery, power generation and marine applications, need to be ultra-reliable and very long lasting and one way to help achieve this is to ensure the engine runs with the minimum amount of vibration. Surprisingly space is not always at a premium in large vehicles or ships and once again Wolfmet tungsten alloy crankshaft counterweights are used to provide a compact counter balance solution to reduce vibration and help prolong engine life.

Reliable Crankshaft Manufacturers

When choosing your supplier of crankshaft counter weights it is important that you pick one that understands the industry, the application, the demanding quality requirements and the responsibility they have in ensuring the reliable and SAFE operation of the engine.

With an acknowledged reputation as one of the worlds’ most experienced tungsten specialists, we are the answer. Click the links to find out more about Wolfmet and our Quality standard.