By Fernando Curello
If we could only tell a child that by simply joining an intake with an exhaust valve, we would get baby valves – ha, ha, ha! That would be a straightforward way to make them, but the fact is that the manufacturing of today’s engines valves is not an easy job. First, it begins with the highly specialized materials that are needed, and then followed up with the many processes that they must go through. The materials must be forged, heat treated, welded, machined, coated, etc. Every step of the way must ensure the highest quality of their finished dimensions, hardnesses, metallurgical microstructures, tight tolerances, and smooth surface finishing.