Many car enthusiasts like to get under the hood and learn more about how their vehicle works, either out of general interest or so they can squeeze any extra power out of the engine. In this article we will see how CNC machining is responsible for your car’s power output, its ignition system, and much more.
Is your car starting for the first time?
Many readers over 40 will remember your first cars that required a lot of care when starting for the first time, especially in the cold. Often not using the car for a week or so would mean pulling out the jumper cables and asking your neighbor to help you get started when you need to get to work on a cold morning. It is most likely now a remote memory, and you will be more used to starting your car without a key, much less with a starter. So how has this transition come about? It depends on the magic of CNC machining.
The component in your engine that is responsible for starting your car is called the starter motor. Over the years, computer numerically controlled manufacturing has become increasingly advanced, with automobile manufacturers making more precision parts. This excellent quality has reduced the failure rate of starters while requiring less energy to start the engine. So how is that? It is thanks to high precision components that the starter motor has become more efficient over the years, with fewer potential points of failure. As a result, your car will now start constantly, whereas 20 years ago, your family car was likely to have been much more troublesome.
How much horsepower does your car have?
Another department in which automobiles have benefited from the wonders of CNC machining is increased horsepower. Car enthusiasts will be familiar with American muscle cars with engines up to 6 liters or even up to 7.5 liters, but only putting out a pitiful 250-350 horsepower. How incredibly inefficient! However, at the time of writing this article in 2013, the Ford Fiesta ST has a 1.6 engine with about 200 horsepower, and the average 2-liter naturally aspirated BMW has 177 horsepower. In the early 1990s, an average car with a 2-liter engine could only handle around 100 horsepower. So how have cars with smaller engines gotten so powerful? It’s all due to CNC machining and the added efficiency this can bring. With this technology, auto parts can be manufactured to much tighter tolerances, which means less engine wear and therefore greater power and fuel efficiency.
Performance tuners also turn to CNC machining when they want to increase the horsepower of their vehicle. Racing parts must be designed with even tighter tolerances to produce the least energy waste and the most horsepower. In fact, modern Formula 1 engines are built to such fine tolerances that their engines cannot be cold started. Instead, your motor oil should first warm up to an optimal temperature. A similar phenomenon is observed in tuned road cars. Since increased horsepower requires a more efficient engine, more precise parts are required to eliminate any point on the engine that weakens horsepower. As a result, more power is generated, but in return, the average performance vehicle or tuner car will need more maintenance and service as a result.
