Selection Of Material, Shape, And Manufacturing Process For A Connecting Rod

This activity centers on the courses of strength of materials and production design offered at a sophomore level Mechanical Engineering curriculum. A connecting rod is one of the most mechanically stressed components in internal combustion engines. The objective of the activity is to select the appropriate material for a connecting rod where the constraints are to make the product as light and cheap as possible and yet strong enough to carry the peak load without failure in high cycle fatigue. The fracture toughness also needs to be above a certain minimum value. A further requirement is that the connecting rod should not buckle during operation. These constraints are used to select an appropriate cross section and material for construction. The next phase involves the selection of manufacturing process for which the constraints are shape, mass, quality and economics. The selections of the material, the cross-sectional shape and the manufacturing processes involve the use of CES EduPack, which yields materials that meet the constraints. The current manufacturing processes for connecting rods by fracture split drop forging and fracture split powder forging are highlighted and compared based on current information.