Three-dimensional simulation of staggered flow forming process

Abstract

Flow forming is an effective method of manufacturing tubular products made of difficult to deform materials with much lower forces that other forming processes. This paper presents a comprehensive simulation of staggered flow forming process wherein an equal deformation occurs on either side of the work surface using staggered rollers. The three dimensional simulation using DEFORM with maraging steel M250 as work material and Johnson-Cook equation as a material model has been performed. The simulation considers various processing parameters, such as roller speed, axial feed rate, roller geometry, frictional coefficient and tilting angle of rotational axis of roller with axis of work piece. The material flow during the process has been analysed for flat and nosed rollers besides the flow forming loads and stresses. It was observed that the axial and radial loads increase with an increase in all the parameters except the axial feed rate. Also, the axial load increases with a decrease in the axial feed rate.