Patent ID: 8914973

Claim:
A system for assembling a piston into an engine cylinder sleeve on an engine block being manufactured, comprising: a piston heated to a predetermined heated piston temperature before assembly into the engine cylinder sleeve; an engine cylinder sleeve adapted to receive the piston; and a heating apparatus for heating the engine cylinder sleeve to a predetermined cylinder sleeve temperature before assembling the piston into the engine cylinder sleeve, wherein the predetermined cylinder sleeve temperature is equal to or greater than the predetermined heated piston temperature, the heating apparatus being independent from the engine block being manufactured, wherein the heating apparatus comprises: an air intake and regulation assembly, the air intake and regulation assembly comprising a main air supply in fluid communication with a main air valve and a main air regulator downstream of the main air valve, wherein the main air supply receives an airflow and directs the airflow to the main air valve which is selectively opened to transmit the airflow to the main air regulator, the main air regulator regulating the airflow; a heating and focusing assembly downstream of the main air regulator, which receives a regulated flow of air from the air intake and regulation assembly, the heating and focusing assembly comprising a forced air heater and a heating nozzle, the forced air heater comprising an electric resistance heating element and an air temperature sensor and the heating nozzle configured to releasably engage the engine cylinder sleeve and to direct a flow of heated air to the engine cylinder sleeve; and a controller comprising a heating control unit and a programmable logic controller, wherein the heating control unit is electrically connected to the temperature sensor and the electric resistance heating element, and the programmable logic controller is electrically connected to the main air supply valve, wherein the programmable logic controller selectively opens and closes the main air supply valve and said heating control unit supplies current to the electric resistance heating element such that the electric resistance heating element heats the regulated flow of air from the air intake and regulation assembly such that a temperature of air flow through the heating nozzle is equal to a predetermined exhaust air temperature.