subject: Valve Guide Manufacturers Ensure Engine Longevity [print this page] Valve guides are designed and manufactured for a range of applications using engines that power vehicles from two wheelers and four wheelers to trucks, tractors, cars, motorcycles and buses. Also marine engines, earthmoving engines, generator, industrial and stationary engines also need valve guides.
The guide is a tube fitted within an engines cylinder head which has the exhaust and intake valves. Valve guides keep the valve straight. In case it is worn out the valve stem will become loose and oil may leak into the combustion chamber resulting in smoke and engine malfunction.
Valve guide manufacturers take due care in design and making, hence the component outlives the engine and needs no repair. They need proper lubrication and scheduled oil changes to keep going.
Manufacturers supply appropriate valve guides for different applications, requiring some amount of engineering expertise and manufacturing capability. The valve guides are made from high quality durable raw material as the engines serve critical purposes in a machine and it is the valves which ensure safety of operation.
The manufacturing process itself requires optimum designing, precision tooling and other techniques to monitor the size and quality as per customer requirement, type, engine RPM and application. Manufacturers prefer Copper Zinc Alloy, Phosphorous Bronze, Manganese Bronze, Aluminium Bronze, gun metal or cast Iron alloy.
When cast Iron alloy with high Phosphorous content is used it ensures high wear resistance and improves working properties even in poor lubrication conditions.
Valve guides feature thread or spiral in inner diameter to retain oil for long time between valve and valve guide. In spiral-reamed valve guides, lubrication is effective making it durable.
The valve guides within valve stems offer less clearance and use oil seeping through the valve guide seal for lubrication. This oil controls the high temperatures of the valve stem by combustion. The guides keep away the heat generated by the combustion chamber from the valve stem preventing damage.
There are thousands of manufacturers in India, big and small who cater to this segment besides overseas manufacturers in China, Germany and other countries.
Customers requiring valve guides need not look far. The company websites give a clear picture of the raw materials used, type of valve guides manufactured and the applications they will suit. Other websites which serve as directories provide a list of all manufacturers in India. Based on location, reputation, capability and suitability the right manufacturer can be chosen.
