Friction-reducing balancer shaft

Balancer shafts with needle bearings generate running smoothness through imbalance compensation, yet require significantly less friction than balancer shafts with plain bearings. The balancer shaft with needle bearings is hot forged from induction hardening steel, soft machined, induction hardened on the journals and hard finished, including super finishing of the bearing surfaces. These bearing surfaces are also tested for roundness/waviness by means of a Fourier analysis in order to avoid undesired noise formation. The part was designed in such a way during the simultaneous engineering process that the required imbalance and stiffness levels may be achieved at minimum weight.