Numerical and experimental investigations on large-diameter gear rolling with local induction heating process

Abstract

Gear rolling with local induction heating process is a novel method to produce large-diameter gears with great advantages. To investigate the gear forming process, a simplified finite element (FE) model coupling electromagnetic-thermal and deformation fields is developed in the DEFORM-3D software and is validated by corresponding experiments. According to the numerical and experimental results, producing large-diameter gears using gear rolling process with local induction heating is feasible. Moreover, the blank heated by local induction heating has a temperature gradient distribution in the radial direction, which results in the defect reduction of inner hole enlarging. Thanks to the heat compensation function of induction heater, the defect of metal folding in the tooth top of the blank is reduced. In addition, the formability is improved by using local induction heating and the rolling force drops drastically compared with cold rolling process.