Engine blocks are the unsung heroes of any Engine, but what do they do and how are they made"
1. The Challenge
2. The Manufacture

Stage 1: The Virtual World

Stage 2: Molding 

Stage 3: Pouring Metal

Stage 4: Solidification

Stage 5: Post Processing 

1. The Challenge
An engine block is a metal structure which is essentially the ?skeleton? of the engine and houses all the key components such as the cylinders, valves and water jackets. The engine block has to endure the most brutal temperatures and stresses found within a vehicle due to the extreme nature of the combustion process. In the extravagant world of F1, this harsh environment is intensified even further. Within a blink of an eye, an F1 engine completes 200 ignitions, with instantaneous gas temperatures reaching 2,600°C and the consequent pressure forces equivalent to the weight of 4 elephants acting on each piston. Courtesy of Mercedes High Performance Powertrains
The recent shift towards small capacity turbocharged engines that we have seen in F1 and other categories has further increased the stresses and temperatures within the engine; with the latter the most problematic. Materials suitable a few years ago are now no longer strong enough at these immense temperatures, and the consequent cooling requirements has increased the complexity of the internal shapes for the water jackets; making traditional casting and tooling methods impossible to use.
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2. The Manufacture
Overcoming these M...