Deformation mechanism of cold ring rolling in view of texture evolution predicted by a newly proposed polycrystal plasticity model

An explicit polycrystal plasticity model was proposed to investigate the deformation mechanism of cold ring rolling in view of texture evolution. The model was created by deducing a set of linear incremental controlling equations within the framework of crystal plasticity theory. It was directly solved by a linear algorithm within a two-level procedure so that its efficiency and stability were guaranteed. A subroutine VUMAT for ABAQUS/Explicit was developed to combine this model with the 3D FE model of cold ring rolling. Results indicate that the model is reliable in predictions of stress-strain response and texture evolution in the dynamic complicated forming process; the shear strain in RD of the ring is the critical deformation mode according to the sharp Goss component （{110}？100？） of deformed ring; texture and crystallographic structure of the ring blank do not affect texture type of the deformed ring;texture evolves rapidly at the later stage of rolling, which results in a dramatically increasing deformation of the ring.

Role of Friction in Cold Ring Rolling

Cold ring rolling is an advanced but complex metal forming process under coupled effects with multi-factors, such as geometry sizes of rolls and ring blank, material, forming process parameters and friction, etc. Among these factors, friction between rolls and ring blank plays an important role in keeping the stable forming of cold ring rolling. An analytical method was firstly presented for proximately determining the critical friction coefficient of stable forming and then a method was proposed to determine the critical friction coefficient by combining analytical method with numerical simulation. And the influence of friction coefficient on the quality of end-plane and side spread of ring,rolling force, rolling moment and metal flow characteristic in the cold ring rolling process have been explored using the three dimensional （3D） numerical simulation based on the elastic-plastic dynamic finite element method （FEM） under the ABAQUS software environment, and the results show that increasing the friction on the contact surfaces between rolls and ring blank is useful not only for improving the stability of cold ring rolling but also for improving the geometry and dimension precision of deformed ring.

Effect of annealing cooling rate on microstructure and mechanical property of 100Cr6 steel ring manufactured by cold ring rolling process

Pre-heat treatment is a vital step before cold ring rolling and it has significant effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties of rolled rings.The 100Cr6 steel rings were subjected to pre-heat treatment and subsequent cold rolling process.Scanning electron microscopy and tensile tests were applied to investigate microstructure characteristic and mechanical property variations of 100Cr6 steel rings undergoing different pre-heat treatings.The results indicate that the average diameter of carbide particles,the tensile strength and hardness increase,while the elongation decreases with the decrease of cooling rate.The cooling rate has minor effect on the yield strength of sample.After cold ring rolling,the ferrite matrix shows a clear direction along the rolling direction.The distribution of cementite is more homogeneous and the cementite particles are finer.Meanwhile,the hardness of the rolled ring is higher than that before rolling.

Soft measurement model of ring's dimensions for vertical hot ring rolling process using neural networks optimized by genetic algorithm

Vertical hot ring rolling(VHRR) process has the characteristics of nonlinearity,time-variation and being susceptible to disturbance.Furthermore,the ring's growth is quite fast within a short time,and the rolled ring's position is asymmetrical.All of these cause that the ring's dimensions cannot be measured directly.Through analyzing the relationships among the dimensions of ring blanks,the positions of rolls and the ring's inner and outer diameter,the soft measurement model of ring's dimensions is established based on the radial basis function neural network(RBFNN).A mass of data samples are obtained from VHRR finite element(FE) simulations to train and test the soft measurement NN model,and the model's structure parameters are deduced and optimized by genetic algorithm(GA).Finally,the soft measurement system of ring's dimensions is established and validated by the VHRR experiments.The ring's dimensions were measured artificially and calculated by the soft measurement NN model.The results show that the calculation values of GA-RBFNN model are close to the artificial measurement data.In addition,the calculation accuracy of GA-RBFNN model is higher than that of RBFNN model.The research results suggest that the soft measurement NN model has high precision and flexibility.The research can provide practical methods and theoretical guidance for the accurate measurement of VHRR process.

Effect of driver roll rotational speed on hot ring rolling of AZ31 magnesium alloy

Based on the ABAQUS/Explicit code,A 3D elastic-plastic and coupled thermo-mechanical FE model of radial ring rolling of AZ31 Magnesium alloy has been proposed to analyze the influence of rotational speed of driver roll to study the inhomogeneity distribution of strain and temperature,fishtail coefficient,rolling force parameters.The results show that:(1)when the rotational speed of driver roll n increases,the strain distribution of the rolled ring becomes less homogeneous,and the temperature distribution more homogeneous yet,and leading to an optimal n value;(2)the fishtail coefficient firstly decreases,then increases with the increase of n;(3)the rolling force,contact area and rolling moment gradually descend with the increase of n.

Modeling and Simulation of Radial-Axial Large Ring Rolling

Finite element model is constructed according to the principle and characteristics of radial-axial large ring rolling technology. Dynamic explicit finite element method is used to simulate the rolling process. An effective modeling method of guide roller is proposed. Simulation indicates that high quality ring product could be obtained when rational rotational speed of rollers and feed rate in the radial and axial rolling are assigned.

Hourglass Control in Dynamic Explicit Simulation of Cold Ring Rolling Process

Hourglass is remarkably aroused in ring rolling simulation with reduced integration element because of violent ring vibration and small contact area of ring with forming rollers. Hourglass energy can be reduced by improving mesh density. Combined approach of artificial damping and artificial stiffness can control the hourglass. A ring with rectangular section is simulated with the weight factor of artificial stiffness resistance set to 0.2. The artificial damping hourglass control coefficient is set to 0.1, and the artificial stiffness hourglass control coefficient is set to 0.001. The ratio of hourglass energy to internal energy is reduced to 2.5 percent. Compared with axial spread width test, the effectiveness of hourglass control in ring rolling simulation is verified.

Modelling and analysis of metal flowing behaviors in constraining ring rolling of tapered ring with thin wall and three high ribs

Tapered ring with thin wall and three high ribs(TRTWTHR),showing complicated geometry(wall thickness is less than 4 mm and rib height exceeds 20 mm),is extensively utilized to fabricate the critical structural parts of aerospace equipment such as spacecraft cabin,rocket body and fuel tank because of light weight and high carrying capacity.How to fabricate TRTWTHR with high performance is a critical problem that aerospace area needs to solve.In this work,constraining ring rolling(CRR)technique is first adopted to form TRTWTHR.However.unreasonable metal streamlines(UMS)and uncoordinated growth of three ribs easily occur in CRR of TRTWTHR,which makes the forming quality of TRTWTHR difficult to be controlled.Faced with this difficulty,an analytical model that can predict UMS and the height of three ribs in CRR of TRTWTHR is established so as to guide the process design of CRR.Subsequently,the reliability of the established analytical model and the feasibility of CRR of TRTWTHR are confirmed by FE simulation and experiment.Then,using the established analytical model,the window of UMS occurring relevant to the tapered angle of TRTWTHR and the location of the rib of middle end is developed.Finally,three uncoordinated growth modes among three ribs are found when the width of three ribs is identical and UMS do not occur,and the mechanisms of three uncoordinated growth modes are revealed.

Microstructural evolution and enhanced mechanical properties of Mg?Gd?Y?Zn?Zr alloy via centrifugal casting, ring-rolling and aging

A ring-shaped Mg?8.5 Gd?4 Y?1 Zn?0.4 Zr(wt%) alloy was manufactured via centrifugal casting and ring-rolling process. The effects of accumulative ring-rolling reduction amount on the microstructure, texture, and tensile properties of the alloy were investigated. The results indicate that the microstructure of centrifugal cast alloy consists of equiaxed grains and network-like eutectic structure present at grain boundaries. The ring-rolled alloy exhibits a characteristic bimodal microstructure composed of fine dynamic recrystallized(DRXed) grains with weak basal texture and coarse un-DRXed grains with strong basal texture, along with the presence of LPSO phase. With increasing amount of accumulative ring-rolling reduction, the coarse un-DRXed grains are refined via the formation of increasing amount of fine DRXed grains. Meanwhile, the dynamic precipitation of Mg5 RE phase occurs, generating a dispersion strengthening effect. A superior combination of strength and ductility is achieved in the ring-rolled alloy after an accumulative rolling reduction of 80%. The tensile strength of this ring-rolled alloy after peak aging is further enhanced, reaching 511 MPa, while keeping a reasonable ductility. The salient strengthening mechanisms identified include the grain boundary strengthening of fine DRXed grains, dispersion strengthening of dynamic precipitated Mg;RE phase, short fiber strengthening of LPSO lamellae/rods, and precipitation strengthening of nano-sized prismatic β precipitates and basal γ precipitates.

On a plastic instability criterion for ultra-large radial-axial ring rolling process with four guide rolls

A dynamic mechanical model is proposed to describe the complexing actions of all the rolls on the ring during the ultra-large radial-axial ring rolling(RARR)process with four guide rolls.Based on the model,the calculation models for bending moment and normal stress at any section of the ring are deduced by force method.If the maximum section bending normal stress exceeds the yield stress of the ring materials,the ring will be distorted thus leading to the instability of the RARR process.According to this,a plastic instability criterion for the ultra-large RARR process with four guide rolls is developed,based on which a mathematical model to calculate the critical guide force for avoiding plastic instability of ring is obtained.The influence rule of the position of guide roll on the dangerous ring section of plastic instability is revealed,from which it is found the dangerous ring section mainly appears at the radial and axial deformation regions and the contact positions of the guide rolls and ring.The optimized layout of guide roll around the ring in favor of stability is determined to be about a1=61°and a2=119°.The plastic instability criterion is proven to be reliable from the aspects of the critical guide force,the section bending moment and normal stress and the dangerous ring section of plastic instability.Intelligent simulation case studies for the RARR process of ultra-large aluminum alloy ring indicate that the stable forming of the process can be effectively realized by regulating the guide force based on the plastic instability criterion.This work could provide a valuable guidance for the control of guide rolls and the optimization of the ultra-large RARR process with four guide rolls.

An innovative constraining ring rolling process for manufacturing conical rings with thin sterna and high ribs

Conical rings with thin sterna and high ribs(CRTSHR)are key bearing-load parts of aerospace equipment,which are required to be manufactured with high performance and efficiency.Traditional ring rolling is the most preferred method for manufacturing high-performance ring parts,but it can hardly achieve the forming of CRTSHR due to the extreme geometry of CRTSHR.To solve this difficulty,an innovative constraining ring rolling process(CRR)is proposed in this paper to manufacture CRTSHR.To evaluate the proposed CRR and reveal its deformation behaviors,a thermomechanical coupled FE model for CRR of CRTSHR is established.Then,the experiment for CRR of CRTSHR is performed on a modified ring rolling machine,which proves that CRR of CRTSHR is feasible and the established FE model is reliable.Based on the reliable FE model,the metal flow mode in deformed CRTSHR is analyzed,and the deformation characteristics such as the stress state,strain distribution and the evolution of power parameters in CRR of CRTSHR are revealed.Finally,the influences of key parameters such as the friction factor between ring and molds,the diameter of idle roll and the feed velocity of idle roll on CRR of CRTSHR are investigated by FE simulation.

Hot Deformation Mechanism and Ring Rolling Behavior of Powder Metallurgy Ti_2AlNb Intermetallics

Powder metallurgy（PM） Ti–22Al–24Nb–0.5Mo（at.%） alloys were prepared by hot isostatic pressing. In order to study the feasibility of PM ＋ ring rolling combined process for preparing Ti_2AlNb rings, thermal mechanical simulation tests of PM Ti_2AlNb alloys were conducted and two rectangular PM rings（150 mm in height, 75 mm in thickness,350 mm in external diameter） were rolled as a validation experiment. Experimental results show that the flow stress of Ti_2AlNb alloys exhibited a significant drop at the very beginning of the deformation（true strain／0.1）, and became stable with the increase in strain. Stress instability phenomenon of PM Ti_2AlNb alloys was more obvious than that of wrought alloy. Flow stress fluctuation at the initial stage of deformation is related to phase transition of Ti_2AlNb alloys which strongly depends on heat treatment and thermal mechanical deformation process. Processing windows during initial stage of ring rolling process is very crucial. A sound PM Ti_2AlNb rectangular ring blank（height = 150 mm, thickness = 30 mm, external diameter = 750 mm） was successfully rolled in two passes by using the improved heat preservation method and optimized rolling parameters. Tensile properties of PM Ti_2AlNb alloy were improved, and the porosity was reduced after ring rolling.

Comparison of evolution laws of stress and strain fields in hot rolling of titanium alloy large rings with different sizes

For hot rolling of titanium alloy large rings,evolution laws of stress and strain fields in rings with various sizes were explored and compared based on a reliable coupled thermo-mechanical three-dimensional （3D） finite element （FE） model.The results show that for forming processes of different rings,as γ^-（the equivalent distribution ratio of feed amount per revolution of a process） decreases,the final peak Mises stress may transfer from the biting point at the driver roll side to that at the idle roll side,and the final peak equivalent plastic strain may transfer from the outside surface to the inside surface;as L^- （the equivalent deformation zone length of a process） increases,the final peak Mises stress may appear in the middle layer.The final positions of peak Mises stress and equivalent plastic strain are the combined effects of the above two aspects.In the deformation zone of a deformed ring,the surface layers are in the 3D compressive stress state,while the middle layer is in the 1D compressive and 2D tensile stress state or 2D compressive and 1D tensile stress state;the whole ring is in the 1D compressive and 2D tensile strain state.

STRESS ANALYSIS OF ROLL RING FOR HIGH SPEED WIRE ROLLING MILLS

This paper introduces a new method for fixing type of the tungsten carbide roll ring for high speed wire rolling mills, and analyses the stresses of the roll ring. The lifetime of roll pass is twice longer that of the old one.

Microstructure and anisotropy of mechanical properties in ring rolled AZ80-Ag alloy

The microstructure,anisotropy in tensile strength and tensile creep resistance of the ring rolled AZ80-Ag alloy were studied.The ring exhibited higher strength along rolling direction(RD)than transverse direction(TD).The microstructure characterization and texture analysis demonstrated that the tilted basal texture was responsible for the higher tensile performance along RD.Investigations on the creep anisotropy revealed that the samples along RD had lower creep resistance,higher creep strain and higher steady creep rate at 70−80 MPa,compared with that along TD.The nominal creep stress exponent(n)values,1.13 for RD and 3.86 for TD,indicated that diffusional creep and dislocation climb were the two corresponding creep mechanisms.During creep of the alloy,Mg_(17)Al_(12) phase discontinuous precipitations were witnessed and their volume fraction enhanced with increasing stress.

Developments and perspectives on the precision forming processes for ultra-large size integrated components

In order to meet the requirements of high reliability,long-lifetime and lightweight in a new generation of aerospace,aviation,high-speed train,and energy power equipment,integrated components are urgently needed to replace traditional multi-piece,welded components.The applications of integrated components involve in a series of large-size,complex-shaped,highperformance components made of difficult-to-deform materials,which present a huge challenge for forming ultra-large size integrated components.In this paper,the developments and perspectives of several extreme forming technologies are reviewed,including the sheet hydroforming of ultra-large curved components,dieless hydroforming of ellipsoidal shells,radial-axial ring rolling of rings,in situ manufacturing process of flanges,and local isothermal forging of titanium alloy components.The principle and processes for controlling deformation are briefly illustrated.The forming of typical ultra-large size integrated components and industrial applications are introduced,such as the high strength aluminum alloy,3m in diameter,integrated tank dome first formed by using a sheet blank with a thickness the same as the final component,and a 16m diameter,integrated steel ring rolled by using a single billet.The trends for extreme forming of ultra-large size integrated components are discussed with a goal of providing ideas and fundamental guidance for the further development of new forming processes for extreme-size integrated components in the future.