Design of roll profile for complex shape in shape rolling by combined 3D-EFA and BWT

Abstract

A design method using three-dimensional electric field analysis (3D-EFA) and a backward tracing scheme (BWT) is proposed to improve the dimensional accuracy for a complex shaped product in shape rolling. A complex door hinge used in the door hinge of automobile is taken as a case study. A shape rolling process for this hinge is designed using the proposed method, and a backward tracing scheme is then applied to find a more suitable roll profile. 3D-EFA is carried out for this purpose, and the roll profiles at each pass are selected based on the 3D-EFA results using the reduction ratio in the area per pass. In addition, a BWT is applied to the selected roll profile in order to achieve the dimensions of the required product. The effectiveness of the proposed design method is verified via FE-simulation and experimentation using plasticine. The results of FE-simulation and experiment show that the proposed design method can be used to effectively design the roll profile for the complex door hinge, leading to an accurate shape and correct dimensions of the final within an allowable tolerance of ±0.5 mm. Therefore, it can be concluded that the proposed design method can be widely used to design roll profiles for producing a precise product.