Energy consumption reduction in Ring Rolling processes: A FEM analysis

Ring Rolling is a very high energy consuming hot forming process used for the production of shaped ring, seamless and axis symmetrical workpieces. Different production steps (Upsetting, Piercing, Ring Rolling) are involved in generating the desired ring shape. In particular the Upsetting and Piercing steps generate a hollow circular preform that will be subsequently enlarged by the rolling mills (Driver, Idle and Axial Rolls) during the Ring Rolling step. In order to reduce the energy and the force needed to produce the workpiece it must be observed that they are strictly affected by the speed laws imposed to the rolling mills which depend on the preform and the final ring geometry. As a consequence the setup of the Upsetting and Piercing steps became fundamental because they impose the preform geometry of the workpiece. Starting from this assumption, in the present work different preforms geometries, characterized by different initial heights, are considered to simulate the Ring Rolling process focusing the results analysis not only on the part feasibility, but also on the energy and force required which affect the equipment dimensioning. An industrial case was considered to validate the FE model. The maximum load and the energy needed for the ring production are considered as main figures for optimizing the process.

[1]  N. Anjami,et al.  Investigation of rolls size effects on hot ring rolling process by coupled thermo-mechanical 3D-FEA , 2010 .

[2]  Wang Zewu,et al.  Complete modeling and parameter optimization for virtual ring rolling , 2010 .

[3]  Ridha Hambli,et al.  Fracture criteria identification using an inverse technique method and blanking experiment , 2002 .

[4]  K. Davey,et al.  A practical method for finite element ring rolling simulation using the ALE flow formulation , 2002 .

[5]  Elisabetta Ceretti,et al.  Validation of hot ring rolling industrial process 3D simulation , 2013 .

[6]  Guang Zhou,et al.  Effects of axial rolls motions on radial–axial rolling process for large-scale alloy steel ring with 3D coupled thermo-mechanical FEA , 2012 .

[7]  Hua Lin,et al.  The extremum parameters in ring rolling , 1997 .

[8]  J. B. Hawkyard,et al.  Simulation of ring rolling using a rigid-plastic finite element model , 1991 .

[9]  Dong-Yol Yang,et al.  Rigid-plastic finite element analysis of plane strain ring rolling , 1988 .

[10]  J. Oudin,et al.  Simulation of ring rolling with new wax-based model materials on a flexible experimental machine , 1988 .

[11]  A. Erman Tekkaya,et al.  The Development of Ring Rolling Technology , 2005 .

[12]  Rajiv Shivpuri,et al.  A summary of ring rolling technology—I. Recent trends in machines, processes and production lines , 1992 .

[13]  Wing Kam Liu,et al.  ALE finite element formulation for ring rolling analysis , 1992 .

[14]  Taylan Altan,et al.  Investigation of ring rolling by pseudo plane-strain FEM analysis , 1991 .

[15]  Lin Hua,et al.  Planning feed speed in cold ring rolling , 2007 .

[16]  He Yang,et al.  Towards a steady forming condition for radial–axial ring rolling , 2011 .