Design and optimization of press slider with steel-aluminum composite bionic sandwich structure for energy saving

Abstract

During the operation of a power press, the movement of moving parts consumes large amounts of energy. Minimizing the mass of moving parts through lightweight design is considered an effective strategy to reduce this energy consumption. The slider has the largest mass among moving parts and is the best object for lightweight design. Therefore, this paper proposes a lightweight design and structural optimization method for the slider to reduce the energy consumption of the power press. The reduction in mass of the slider is achieved through the application of a novel steel-aluminum composite (steel face sheets, high-strength aluminum alloy core) bionic sandwich structure (SACBSS). Afterward, the performance of the SACBSS is evaluated, and the SACBSS slider is designed. The energy consumption model and the finite element model of the slider are established, respectively. Finally, the response surface method is used to establish the optimization model by comprehensively considering energy consumption and structural performance. The results show that compared to the referenced steel slider, the optimized SACBSS slider reduces the mass by 18.9% and the energy consumption by 6.1%. The proposed design and optimization method of the slider can effectively reduce energy consumption while ensuring performance, which is important for the realization of green production in factories.