Finite element simulation and experiment verification of rolling forming for the truck wheel rim

Abstract

The present research aims to investigate general laws of three-pass roll forming of steel wheel rim by finite element simulation. Firstly, finite element models of the rolling process were built on ABAQUS. To ensure the validity of models, some important settings as multistep construction, flexible boundary conditions of side rolls and nonlinear loading curves were considered, which provide the basis for high-accuracy numerical simulation of rim forming. Based on the results of simulation, each pass of the rim forming process was then analyzed. Especially, the investigations of wall thickness distribution and equivalent plastic strain on formed wheel rim are conducted, from which the role of three rolling passes and characteristics of rim forming can be summarized. Moreover, experiment results verified the reliability of finite element model. Subsequently, for analyzing the problems of welding-line cracking, model of flaring dies with various flaring angles were tried in simulations to discuss their influences on forming results of the wheel rim.