Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Guys I need some help on understanding digitizing cylinder heads. I know this should be in the tech section, but I would like to get as many opinions as possible to understanding how this process works. Can the complete head be digitized. Meaning ports, bowl area, combustion chambers, every little nook and cranny so to speak.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

You can digitize anywhere the probe (usually 3mm dia.) can get to.

Take a look at this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN8xRUzFF2k

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Ken,
Yes, the ports and chambers can be fully digitized.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

The are probe digitizers, laser digitizers and 3D scanners.
Yes, you can digitize and reverse engineer a cylinder head and even more complex parts.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Interesting video, but that looks like a lengthy process, and it does not show how far then can go. So there are 3 types of scanners, they have to be very expensive. Can a laser scanner digitize around bends like a short turn radius. It looks like the technology is here, but how good is it really. I guess I'm not sold on it yet. Time do more research, thanks guys.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

The technology has been there for quite some time to digitize cylinder heads. If NHRA could get together with the manufactures they could really find out who's heads have been massaged. Not that there are any ported heads in stock.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Now that is really funny to read first thing in the morning !

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Yes, 3D laser scanner or a Renishaw Cyclone digitizer can digitize around bends, contours, radiuses and more.

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Ken I understand being skeptical of the technology, but it really is that accurate these days. Most high end CNC machines these days have CMM probes on 3,4 or 5 axes arms inside the machine that do spot quality check's to .0005" accuracy, and then per an algorithm adjust tool paths for cutter wear, ambient temp and humidity differences, etc. Being a reporter, maybe you could drum up interest from a laser scanner/ CMM company to do an in depth 'how it works' article. What head are you specifically looking to scan? I ask because a lot of late model parts are available from the OEM via Sema: https://www.semagarage.com/techtransfer/Index


Some of the late model head CNC porting shops might have the base OEM CAD and/or full combustion, intake, exhaust port scanning capabilities too. It is isn't cheap, but the most accurate way, by far, to analyze the CFD flow in and out of the engine. Interesting stuff, gonna follow this thread...

Re: Digitizing Cylinder Heads Help
 

Our people say they can get to 99% accuracy from a port, however, when going to the seat area, there are metrics like "picking the throat size." In this case we chose to go 92% that reduced flow quite significantly, so be very careful. We are doing a 642 cubic inch Pontiac engine and the throat size is the limiting factor. We brought the flow back with a carefully constructed intake manifold runner by Mr RPM himself, "the Kat" Rick Katterjohn.


Lynn McCarty
www.ramairv.com
317.260.3486