Design of roll profile for LM-Guide block in Horizontal-Vertical shape rolling by 3D-EFA

Abstract

In this paper, the design method for intermediate rolls has been developed to manufacture a linear motion (LM) guide block in horizontal-vertical (H-V) shape rolling, based on the three-dimensional electric field analysis (3D-EFA). This design method can predict appropriate cross-sections of roll profile at each pass based on the initial and final shapes. 3D-EFA simulations are performed separately for the horizontal and vertical rolling passes to obtain roll profiles from equipotential lines. The roll profiles obtained based on 3D-EFA are simulated by the commercial program Deform 3D, and are the reselected by compensating for the area of the error from the equipotential lines. For convenience of field work and reducing strain concentration of the products, the roll profiles for the first and second passes are modified to be flat rolls because the roll profiles are almost rectangular. The effectiveness of the proposed design method is verified experimentally using AISI4120 steel for H-V shape rolling. From the experimental results, some over- and under-filling ate the roll gap are observed for the final pass. However the dimensional errors are within ±0.3 mm, and no cracking or shearing is observed. The proposed design method will improve the efficiency of the design process by reducing time and costs.