With the rapid development of China’s civil aviation industry, the independent development of advanced aero-engines with high thrust and low fuel consumption has become an important goal. In a new engine development project, Grover has applied its proprietary SureShapeTM process to provide a solution for the manufacturing of piston rings, a key component, and realized a major technological breakthrough.
The SureShapeTM process combines material science and precision molding technology to customize the ideal shape of piston rings to meet target performance specifications. Through an advanced “digital twin” design methodology, Grover rapidly predicts and iteratively optimizes ring designs. The ring blank is made of Grover’s own titanium alloy with outstanding mechanical properties. After precision CNC machining, surface enhancement treatments such as air injection are applied to optimize the ring surface properties.
In the qualification test of an aero-engine, the piston ring made by SureShapeTM process increased the fuel efficiency of the engine by 5% compared with its predecessor and achieved higher thrust; it significantly extended the overhaul cycle and reduced the maintenance cost. Tests have proven that the performance of SureShapeTM piston rings is significantly better than the traditional method.
The SureShapeTM process combines Grover’s many years of materials development and manufacturing expertise to create customized, high performance piston rings on a large scale. This process has already been used in advanced military aero-engines and other fields, and is an important symbol of China’s aero-engine core component manufacturing technology. Looking ahead, SureShapeTM process will surely promote the performance of aero-engines and help realize the goal of a strong quality country and a strong aviation country.
SureShapeTM piston ring manufacturing process has the following main features.
A proprietary process that allows us to customize the ideal shape of piston rings according to customer needs.
Based on material science, the correct base material is selected to ensure ring functionality.
Utilization of surface treatment and ring shape design techniques to enable rings to meet specific operating environment requirements.
Combining materials, surface treatments, and shape design enables the ability to customize rings for each unique application.
Rapidly prototype rings for design verification and testing.
The company has been used in a variety of industries, including automotive and aerospace, to provide high-performance, high-reliability solutions.
Grover is a specialized provider of piston rings based on material science and manufacturing technology.
SureShapeTM represents the company’s core competence in piston ring development and manufacturing.