CROSS HEAD ASSEMBLY

A Report on Mini Project

Submitted by

Raees R. Atar Kunit K. Bahadure

Ganesh M. Battul Shrenik V. Bendsure

Project Guide

Mr. Pritish G. Chitte

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Walchand Institute of Technology, Solapur
Affiliated to Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur
University, Solapur, Maharashtra, India

Year 2021-22
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the Mini Project entitled “CROSS HEAD ASSEMBLY”, has been
carried out and is submitted by the following students in the partial fulfillment for the award
of the degree of Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering as prescribed by the Solapur University,
Solapur.

Name Roll No.

Raees R. Atar B-09

Kunit K. Bahadure B-10

Ganesh M. Battul B-11

Shrenik V. Bendsure B-12

Mr. P. G. Chitte
(Guide)

Dr. P. R. Kulkarni Dr. S. A. Halkude (PhD. IIT Mumbai)

(Head of Mech. Engg. Dept.) Principal

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

It is our privilege to express our sincerest regards to our project coordinator, Dr/Prof./Mr.
Pritish G. Chitte, for providing their invaluable guidance, comments and suggestions
throughout the duration of our project. We deeply express our sincere thanks to our Head of
Department Dr. P. R. Kulkarni for encouraging and allowing us to present the project on
the topic “CROSS HEAD ASSEMBLY”. We take this opportunity to thank all our lecturers
who have directly or indirectly helped our project. Last but not the least we express our
thanks to our friends for their cooperation and support.

We would like to express our gratitude to the Principal Sir Dr. S. A. Halkude and our
H.O.D Dr. P. R. Kulkarni for providing all the required facility. We would like to express
our gratitude towards our parents and team members for their kind cooperation and
encouragement which help me in completion of this the projects. A special thanks and
appreciations also go to my colleagues in developing the project and people who have
willingly helped us out with their abilities.
 ABSTRACT

The present work is concerned with design cross head assembly used in IC engines,
steam engines and also in locomotives to connect piston rod and connecting rod. The objective
of the cross head is this enables the connecting rod to freely move outside the cylinder.

A crosshead is a mechanism used as part of the slider-crank linkages of

long reciprocating engines and reciprocating compressors to eliminate sideways pressure on
the piston. Also, the crosshead enables the connecting rod to freely move outside the cylinder.
Because of the very small bore-to-stroke ratio on such engines, the connecting rod would hit
the cylinder walls and block the engine from rotating if the piston was attached directly to the
connecting rod like on trunk engines. Therefore, the longitudinal dimension of the crosshead
must be matched to the stroke of the engine.
 INDEX

Content Pg. No

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT……………………………………………………..... 3

ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………... 4

INDEX…………………………………………………………………………… 5

INTRODUCTION. 6

PRESS WORKING TERMINOLOGY. 7

GENERAL DESIGN PROCEDURE FOR BENDING PRESS 9

PRESS TOOL PART DESIGH. 15

PRESS TOOL ASSEMBLY. 19

2D DRAFTING OF PRESS TOOL ASSEMBLY 21

REFERENCE AND SOFTWARE USED FOR CASE STUDY 22

 INTRODUCTION

A crosshead is a mechanism used as part of the slider-crank linkages of long reciprocating

engines and reciprocating compressors to eliminate sideways pressure on the piston. Also, the
crosshead enables the connecting rod to freely move outside the cylinder. Because of the very small
bore-to-stroke ratio on such engines, the connecting rod would hit the cylinder walls and block the
engine from rotating if the piston was attached directly to the connecting rod like on trunk engines.
Therefore, the longitudinal dimension of the crosshead must be matched to the stroke of the engine.

On smaller engines, the connecting rod links the piston and the crankshaft directly, but this
transmits sideways forces to the piston, since the crankpin (and thus the direction the force is applied)
moves from side to side with the rotary motion of the crank. These transverse forces are tolerable in a
smaller engine. A larger engine's much greater forces would cause an intolerable degree of wear on the
piston and cylinder, as well as increasing overall friction in the engine.

A piston rod is attached to the piston and links it to the crosshead, which is a large casting sliding
in crosshead guides (UK: Slidebar) allowing it only to move in the same direction as the piston travel.
The crosshead also houses the gudgeon pin (US: wristpin) on which the small end of the connecting rod
pivots. In this way, the transverse forces are applied only to the crosshead and its bearings, not to the
piston itself.
Crosshead lubrication system -

The crosshead on a slow speed 2 stroke is a difficult bearing to lubricate effectively. The load is
continually downward and because the con rod swings about the pin, changing direction each stroke,
true hydrodynamic lubrication cannot take place. Instead the lubrication starts as boundary, and as the
rubbing speed increases, a hydrodynamic film is built up. As the rubbing speed decreases the
lubrication becomes boundary once again.

As engine powers and thus gas loads have increased, the difficulties with achieving effective
lubrication have increased. Larger pin diameters have helped by increasing the linear rubbing speeds,
and the continuous lower bearing has reduced the loading/unit area.
The older forked type crosshead as found in earlier engines (up to the mid 1980s) used various
methods to improve the lubrication of the crosshead. Oil grooves in the lower bearings were used to
distribute the oil. The grooves in some cases extended to the edge of the bearing, although with a
reduced csa, to ensure a flow of oil through the bearing.

The lower half of the bearing housing is formed by the top end of the connecting rod. It supports
the crosshead pin over its entire length, the piston rod being bolted to the top half of the crosshead pin
through a cut out in the bearing top half. Oil supply to the crosshead is via a telescopic pipe from the
main LO supply at a pressure of about 2.5 bar.

The lower bearing shell (Tin Aluminium with overlay) has oil grooves with machined wedges as
shown in the diagram and photo. The oil enters via the cut out channel in the centre. The grooves
extend right to the edges of the bearing to ensure a flow of oil, thus cooling the bearing.
Material Used For Crosshead -

Crosshead Bracket: The crosshead bracket is made up of steel casting in which the pin is shrink-fitted
to form complete crosshead unit.

Crosshead Pin: The crosshead pin is made of high strength nitride steel with excellent surface finish
which helps in lubrication of crosshead bearing.
Guide Plate: Guide plates are made up of cast iron. Sometimes shims are provided for adjustment of
guide plates.

Guide Shoes: Guide shoes which are accommodated in the A frame, and fitted both forward and aft of
crosshead, are normally made of white metal lining with slipper surface. Lubricating oil grooves are cut
into the guides for lubrication. The crosshead pin is fitted with a loose fitting pin which allows a small
degree of movement (about 1mm) between the guide shoe and the pin, giving better alignment. Also,
two long studs pass through the crosshead pins horizontally and secure the pins to the brackets at the
back. The telescopic pipes for lubricating and cooling oil are supported by the crosshead brackets at the
front of the piston rods and the guide shoes are bolted to these brackets at the back. Each side crosshead
is made up of steel casting, into which the crosshead pin is shrunk fitted, with the side rod screwed into
the top of the casting.
Inspection –

1. Check the lubrication oil flow in the crosshead

2. Check the telescopic or articulated pipe connections and securing arrangement

3. Check for any leakage from telescopic pipe

4. Check all the locking plates and locking screw in the crosshead securing nuts

5. Check the near edge area of piston palm over crosshead for any distortion

6. Check clearance of crosshead bearing

7. Check guide and rail clearances

8. Check for any squeezed out white metal between bearing and pin

9. Check the lube oil hole between crosshead and piston rod for chocking or deposits

10. Check for scratching marks on the crosshead pin

11. Check the surface finish of crosshead pin

12. Check the surface of guide rail for any breakage of rail path

13. Check condition of guides for any white metal flakes

14. Check the oil wedges provided in the guide shoes for deposits and any breakage

Applications –

1. internal Combustion Engines –

Internal combustion engines using crossheads make for easier
maintenance of the top end of the engine, since the pistons can be easily removed. The piston rod is
mounted on the underside of the piston and connected to the crosshead by a single nut in double acting
engines. The large two-stroke marine diesel engines are usually of this pattern. A crosshead is essential
in a double-acting diesel engine (see also: H-class battleships: 12 MAN double-acting 2-stroke 9-
cylinder diesels). Large diesels often have a plunger oilpump directly attached to the crosshead to
supply oil under high pressure to the crosshead bearing.

2. Steam Engines –
in the case of the steam engine, a crosshead is essential if the engine is to be double
acting - steam is applied to both sides of the piston, which requires a seal around the piston rod. An
exception is the oscillating cylinder steam engine which can be double acting and yet has no crosshead.

3. Locomotives -
Crossheads in a steam locomotive can be mounted either to one guide mounted above
the crosshead or to two, one above and one below (called an alligator crosshead since it has two
"jaws"). The former was preferred in many modern locomotives.
4. Marine engines -
In many 19th century marine steam engines, the crosshead was a strong metal bar
attached to the piston rod and perpendicular to it, which was sometimes used to eliminate transverse
forces, as in a steeple engine, and at other times used as a linkage to side - rods in a side - lever engine
or to connecting rods in a square engine
 Cross head Part Design

Step 1
Part Name: Body
Step 2
Part name: Brasses
Step 3
Part Name: Keep Plate
Step 4
Part Name: Piston Rod
Step 5

Part Name: Bolt

Step 6

Part Name: Bolt

 Cross head Assembly

Step by step procedure how to create an assembly in CATIA V5.

1. Using the menu go to File -> New -> Product and click OK.
2. Now, you must be sure that you have opened two toolbars, Product Structure Tools and
Constraints.
3. Now you must insert from file the parts that you want to bring them into an assembly. To
do that, you should use the button Existing Component from Product Structure Tools
toolbar. Be sure that you have selected the four before or after press this button. Select all
elements and click OK.
4. Now will make all necessary constraints. (be sure that you made public all features that
you need to use for make all constraints).
5. After that I will put bottom plate and will fix the main body of crosshead assembly.
6. Then we will make surface contact between main body and brassel.
7. Next, make contact of piston rod and keep plate with main body
8. After that insert bolts and fix it with nuts.
Exploded View of Crosshead Assembly
2D Drafting of Cross Head Assembly
2D Details of Cross Head Assembly
3D Model of Crosshead Assembly
 Reference and Software used for case study

 For some extra study material

Google, Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crosshead

 Books

1. P. C. Sharma, A Text Book of Production Engineering, S. Chand Publication, 2010.

2. O.P. Khanna, Production Technology- Manufacturing Processes, Dhanpat Rai Publications.
2017

 Software used for assembly and drafting

Catia v5