Forged Camshafts
Camshaft lobes work under extreme contact stress against followers, cycle after cycle, for the entire life of the engine. A forged blank gives the dense, inclusion-free surface layer that survives that contact once hardened and ground.
- Shaft Length
- Up to 1,000 mm
- Materials
- EN8, EN9, 20MnCr5, alloy grades
- Lobe Hardness
- Up to 58 HRC
- Journal Finish
- Ra 0.4 µm ground
- Straightness
- Within drawing tolerance after grinding
- Applications
- Diesel engines, tractors, pumps
Forged Camshafts at a glance
Quotable facts from Avadh Techno Forge, Gundasara, Gondal, Rajkot.
- Shaft Length: Up to 1,000 mm
- Materials: EN8, EN9, 20MnCr5, alloy grades
- Lobe Hardness: Up to 58 HRC
- Journal Finish: Ra 0.4 µm ground
- Straightness: Within drawing tolerance after grinding
- Applications: Diesel engines, tractors, pumps
Contact Stress on the Lobe Flank
Hertzian contact between lobe and follower runs into the GPa range. Any inclusion or porosity just below the surface becomes a spall initiation point, so blank cleanliness — a direct consequence of forging over casting — governs service life.
- Dense, inclusion-controlled surface layer
- Hardened lobe flanks
- Ground journals to size
- Straightness held over full length
Hardening the Lobes
Lobes are induction or chill hardened to the required surface hardness while journals are finished separately, so wear resistance and shaft toughness are optimised independently rather than compromised into one condition.
Straightness and Timing Accuracy
Long slender shafts distort during heat treatment, so straightening and final grinding follow hardening. Lobe angular position is verified against the timing drawing before release.
Camshaft Specification and Capability
A camshaft's lobes decide the engine's timing, and any wear on a lobe flank changes that timing permanently. That makes surface durability the governing requirement, and it is why lobes are hardened and ground rather than allowed to wear in.
| Parameter | Range |
|---|---|
| Shaft length | Up to 1,000 mm |
| Materials | EN8, EN9, 20MnCr5, alloy grades |
| Lobe hardness | Up to ≈ 58 HRC |
| Journal finish | Ra 0.4 µm ground |
| Straightness | Corrected after hardening, then ground |
| Supply | Forged blanks or finished shafts |
Why Lobe Cleanliness Decides Camshaft Life
Contact between lobe and follower runs into very high Hertzian stress over a small area. Any inclusion or porosity sitting just below that surface becomes the starting point for spalling, which is why a forged blank — dense and inclusion-controlled — outlasts a cast one in this duty. Lobes are hardened by induction or chill hardening while journals are treated separately, so wear resistance and shaft toughness are optimised independently rather than compromised into a single condition.
- Dense, inclusion-controlled surface layer
- Lobes and journals hardened separately
- Straightened after hardening, then finish ground
- Lobe angular position verified against the timing drawing
Distortion Control on Long Slender Shafts
Camshafts are long and slender, which makes them prone to distortion during heat treatment. Parts are supported correctly in the furnace, straightened after hardening and finish ground so the shaft runs true in its bearings. Grinding also restores the journal surface finish that seal and bearing life depend on. See forging distortion problems and induction hardening.
Topics covered on this page
- forged camshaft manufacturer India
- camshaft forging supplier
- camshaft blank manufacturer Rajkot
- diesel camshaft India
Based on work carried out at our own forging plant at Gundasara, Gondal, Rajkot — operating since 2008.
Questions Answered
Do you supply camshaft blanks or finished camshafts?
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Both. Many customers take forged and normalised blanks for their own machining; others take fully ground and hardened shafts.
How are lobes hardened?
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Induction hardening on the lobe flanks with the journals treated separately, so each area gets the property it needs.
Can you hold lobe timing angles?
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Yes, angular position is machined and verified against the timing drawing.
What is your minimum camshaft batch?
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500 pieces for new tooling; smaller repeat batches once the die exists.