A new multi-DOF envelope forming process for fabricating spiral bevel gears with back taper tooth

Spiral bevel gears are critical transmission components,and are widely used in the aerospace field.This paper proposes a new multi-DOF envelope forming process for fabricating spiral bevel gears.Firstly,the multi-DOF envelope forming principle of spiral bevel gears is proposed.Secondly,the design methods for the envelope tool geometry and movement are proposed based on the envelope geometry and movement relationships.Thirdly,the metal flow and tooth filling laws are revealed through 3D FE simulation of the multi-DOF envelope forming process of a typical spiral bevel gear.Fourthly,a new method for separating the envelope tool and the formed spiral bevel gear with back taper tooth is proposed to avoid their interference.Finally,experiments on multi-DOF envelope forming of this typical spiral bevel gear are conducted using new heavy load multi-DOF envelope forming equipment.The simulation and experimental results show the feasibility of the proposed multi-DOF envelope forming process for fabricating spiral bevel gears with back taper tooth and the corresponding process design methods.

Meshfree Method Numerical Simulation of Sheet Metal Forming Process

Metal forming plays an important role in manufacturing industry and is widely applied in industries.The tradi- tional finite element method(FEM)numerical simulation is commonly used to predict metal forming process.Conventional finite element analysis of metal forming processes often breaks down due to severe mesh distortion,therefore time-consuming remeshing is necessary.Meshfree methods have been developed since 1977 and can avoid this problem.This new generation of computational methods reduces time-consuming model generation and refinement effort,and its shape function has higher order connectivity than FEM’s.In this paper the velocity shape functions are developed from a reproducing kernel approximation that satisfies consistency conditions and is used to analyze metal tension rigid viscoplastic deforming and Magnesium Alloy(MB 15)sheet superplastic ten- sion forming.A meshfree method metal forming modeling program is set up,the partition of unity method is used to compute the integrations in weak form equations and penalty method is used to impose the essential boundary condition exactly.Metal forming examples,such as sheet metal superplastic tension forming and metal rigid viscoplastic tension forming,are analyzed to demon- strate the performance of mesh free method.

Effect of Low pH on Forming Process of Desulfurization Gypsum Composite Boards Strengthened by Melamine-formaldehyde Resin

Through exploring the effects of low pH on the composite system of desulfurization gypsum(DG)enhanced by melamine-formaldehyde resin(MF),it is found that the inducing of sulfate-ion,in contrast to chloride and oxalate ions,favors the longitudinal growth of the crystalline form of the hydration product,which was relatively simple and had the highest length to width(L/D)ratio.At the same time,MF can also improve L/D ratio of gypsum hydration products,which favors the formation of hydrated whiskers.Finally,in a composite system composed of hemihydrate gypsum,MF,and glass fibers,when dilute sulfuric acid was used to regulate pH=3-4,the tight binding formed among the components of the composite system compared to pH=5-6.The hydration product of gypsum adheres tightly to glass fiber surface and produces a good cross-linking and binding effect with MF.The flexural strength,compressive strength,elastic modulus,and water absorption of the desulphurized gypsum composite board is 22.7 MPa,39.8 MPa,5608 MPa,and 1.8%,respectively.

Analysis and Optimization of the Electrohydraulic Forming Process of Sinusoidal Corrugation Tubes

Aluminum alloy thin-walled structures are widely used in the automotive industry due to their advantages related to light weight and crashworthiness.They can be produced at room temperature by the electrohydraulic forming process.In the present study,the influence of the related parameters on the forming quality of a 6063 aluminum alloy sinusoidal corrugation tube has been assessed.In particular,the orthogonal experimental design(OED)and central composite design(CCD)methods have been used.Through the range analysis and variance analysis of the experimental data,the influence degree of wire diameter(WD)and discharge energy(DE)on the forming quality was determined.Multiple regression analysis was performed using the response surface methodology.A prediction model for the attaching-die state coefficient was established accordingly.The following optimal arrangement of parameters was obtained(WD=0.759 mm,DE=2.926 kJ).The attaching-die state coefficient reached the peak value of 0.001.Better optimized wire diameter and discharge energy for a better attaching-die state could be screened by CCD compared with OED.The response surface method in CCD was more suitable for the design and optimization of the considered process parameters.

Three-Dimensional Rigid-Plastic FEM Simulation of Bulk Forming Processes with New Contact and Remeshing Techniques

Some techniques such as die surface description, contact judgement algorithm and remeshing are proposed to improve the robustness of the numerical solution. Based on these techniques, a three-dimensional rigid-plastic FEM code has been developed. Isothermal forging process of a cylindrical housing has been simulated. The simulation results show that the given techniques and the FEM code are reasonable and feasible for three-dimensional bulk forming processes.

Influence of forming process on three-dimensional morphology of TiB_2 particles in Al-Ti-B alloys

A series of Al-Ti-B master alloys were prepared by different preparation routes,and the TiB2 particles in the master alloys were extracted and analyzed.It is found that the forming process has significant influence on the three-dimensional morphology of TiB2 particles.Different preparation routes result in different reaction forms,which accounts for the morphology variation of TiB2 particles.When the Al-Ti-B master alloy is prepared using ＂halide salt＂ route,TiB2 particles exhibit hexagonal platelet morphology and are independent with each other.In addition,the reaction temperature almost does not have influence on the morphology of TiB2 particles.However,TiB2 particles exhibit different morphologies at different reaction temperatures when the master alloys are prepared with Al-3B and Ti sponge.When the master alloy is prepared at 850 ℃,a kind of TiB2 particle agglomeration forms with a size larger than 5 μm.The TiB2 particles change to layered stacking morphology even dendritic morphology with the reaction temperature reaching up to 1200 ℃.

Continuously extending extrusion forming of semisolid A2017 alloy by SRS process

A self-made single-roll stirring (SRS) machine was used to manufacturesemisolid A2017 alloy, the mechanism of A2017 alloy formation was investigated. It was shown thatA2017 dendrites growing on the rough roll surface are crashed into fragments by the roll, which moveand grow freely then contribute the formation of finer spherical microstruc-ture. When casting at710-750℃, fine and homogeneous spherical or elliptical grains of A2017 alloy were obtained.Extending forming mould has been designed and was installed at the exit of roll-shoe gap. A2017alloy was formed by extending continuously at the semisolid state on SRS machine. Throughcontrolling pouring temperature, semisolid forming and extending extrusion was combined organically.A2017 product with fine surface and rectangular transection of 14 mm x 25 mm was obtained. Bycontrast to the national standard, the fracture strength and elongation of A2017 products producedfrom extending semisolid extrusion have been improved with an increase of 100 MPa and 29%,respectively.

A Review on Ultrasonic-Assisted Forming:Mechanism,Model,and Process

Compared with conventional forming processes,ultrasonic-assisted forming technology with a high frequency and small amplitude can significantly improve the forming quality of materials.Owing to the advantages of reduced forming force,improved surface quality,avoidance of forming defects,and strengthened surface structure,ultrasonic-assisted forming technology has been applied to increasingly advanced forming processes,such as incremental forming,spinning,and micro-forming.However,in the ultrasonic-assisted forming process,there are multiple ultrasonic mechanisms,such as the volume effect and surface effect.The explanation of the effect of ultrasonic vibration(UV)on plastic deformation remains controversial,hindering the development of related technologies.Recently,many researchers have proposed many new theories and technologies for ultrasonic-assisted forming.To summarize these developments,systematic discussions on mechanisms,theoretical models,and forming performances are provided in this review.On this basis,the limitations of the current study are discussed.In addition,an outlook for ultrasonic-assisted forming is proposed:efficient and stable UV systems,difficulty forming components with complex geometry,explanation of the in-depth mechanism,a systematic theoretical prediction model,and multi-field-coupling energy-assisted forming are considered to be hot spots in future studies.The present review enhances existing knowledge of ultrasonic-assisted forming,and facilitates a fast reference for related researchers.

Semi-solid processing of hypereutectic A390 alloys using novel rheoforming process

The feasibility of semi solid processing of hypereutectic A390 alloys using a novel rheoforming process was investigated. A combination of the swirl enthalpy equilibration device （SEED） process, isothermal holding using insulation and addition of solid alloy during swirling was introduced as a novel method to improve the processability of semi solid slurry. The effects of isothermal holding and the addition of solid alloy on the temperature gradient between the centre and the wall and on the formation of a（Al） particles were examined. In additional tests, phosphorus and strontium were added to the molten metal to refine the primary and eutectic silicon structure to facilitate semi solid processing. The results show that the combination of the SEED process with two additional processing steps can produce semi-solid A390 alloys that can be rheoprocessed. The microstructure reveals an adequate amount of non-dendritic a（Al） globules surrounded by liquid, which greatly improves the processability of semi-solid slurry.

Study for the Forming Principle of Logix Gear Tooth Profile and Its Mesh Performance

In recent years, a new type of gear named Logix gea r was developed. Actually, the tooth profile of this new type of gear is composed of lots of micro-segment involute curves, and on the profile, there exist lots of points, which their relative curvatures are equal to zero. This can result in the sliding coefficient smaller between two meshed Logix gears, and the mesh ch aracteristic becomes almost rolling transmission from sliding transmission accor dingly. So, this new type of gear has lots of advantages such as higher contact intensity, longer useful life and can easily realize power transfer of bigger tr ansmission ratio than standard involute gear. Study results showed that the cont act fatigue strength is 3 times larger, the bend fatigue strength is 2.5 times l arger, and the minimum tooth number can be decreased to 3, much smaller than tha t of standard involute gear. In this paper, following studies had been done: 1) The formation principle of Logix gear tooth profile was studied. The theoreti cal models describing the geometrical formations of this type of gear and its re lative Logix rack had been deduced. 2) While cutting a Logix gear, its tooth profile is decided by its normal tooth profile of Logix rack. Besides the basic parameters of standard involute gear, L ogix rack has its own specific parameters such as preliminary pressure angle, re lative pressure angle, and preliminary referential circle radius etc. So, the in fluence of connatural parameters of Logix rack on the tooth profile of Logix gea r had been farther studied. Reasonable selection for these parameters had been d iscussed. 3) Several kinds of transition curves for gear’s tooth profile had been introdu ced, its selection used by Logix gear had been described, and also its mathemati cal description model had been deduced. 4) The mesh theories of Logix gears had been developed. It had been proved that the transmission performance between Logix gears coincides with E-W theorem as that of ordinary standard involute gears. The formula calculating superposition coefficient was deduced according to its definition. Different from standard inv olute gears, the parameter of gear number has no effect on the superposition coe fficient of the Logix gears. Accordingly, bigger ratio transmission can be acqui red by means of decreasing the gear number, and its minimum gear number can be r eached to 3, much smaller than the minimum gear number of ordinary standard invo lute gear: 14～17. This is very important to realize the miniaturization of prod uction design. 5) The CAD special software was developed to design all kinds of Logix gears, an d a solid design example was offered. To sum up, by means of above study, the system info about Logix gear had been de veloped and enriched. This has most significant impact on its widely promotion a nd practical application, on the improvement of carrying capacity, miniaturizati on, and life of kinetic transmission products.

Research on the Casting-forging Precision Forming Process of Alternator Poles

The casting-forging combined technique and the closed die forging without flash-less are both new developed material working methods. The former can not only decrease forming operations of forgings, but also increase the material utilization ratio. Therefore, it is applied to produce more complex forgings. The latter is required for forging precise parts without burrs. The alternator pole is a complex forging, which was usually produced by hot forging, upsetting-extrusion or upsetting-extrusion and bending processes. During these processes, not only the forming force is higher, but the material of burrs accounts for 30 percent or so of total required material. And burrs are difficult to remove in the sequential machining process. In accordance with defects exiting in current manufacturing of alternator poles by upsetting-extruding process, such as more material demand, higher forming force and difficulty of next machining, a casting-forging precision process of alternator poles was developed and investigated in this paper. In the process, the pole was formed by two operations. One is the pre-forming operation by casting. The other is the final forming operation by the closed precision forging process. This can not only shorten processes, decrease material and power demand, but also increase precision of forgings. First, the casting blocker was designed considering the casting process and the forging ratio and the mode of deformation. Then the die structure for closed precision forging was designed, and the closing device for forging dies with spring assemblies in order to provide the necessary closing force was also designed. Finally the forming processes was investigated by test and numerical simulation method to optimum process parameters and die structure design parameters. The result can provide basis for applying the process to manufacture poles in practice.

RESEARCH ON HOT FORMING PROCESS OF A RETAINING RING OF HIGH-NITROGEN STEEL

Mn18Cr18N, the high-nitrogen steel, is the 2nd generation material for manufacturing the retaining ring of firepower generators. In this paper, the hot deformation behavior of the material was investigated by thermo-mechanical modeling tests. And the flow stress curves of the steel were obtained for various combinations of the temperature and strain rate. Based on the results of the tests, the complex forming process of a retaining ring including punching, expanding and extrusion with an enclosure was put forward and simulated by means of numerical simulation method. The results indicate that the process is a novel and force-saved practical technology for manufacturing heavy retaining rings.

Prediction of tri-modal microstructure under complex thermomechanical processing history in isothermal local loading forming of titanium alloy

To control the tri-modal microstructure and performance,a prediction model of tri-modal microstructure in the isothermal local loading forming of titanium alloy was developed.The staged isothermal local loading experiment on TA15alloy indicates that there exist four important microstructure evolution phenomena in the development of tri-modal microstructure,i.e.,the generation of lamellarα,content variation of equiaxedα,spatial orientation change of lamellarαand globularization of lamellarα.Considering the laws of these microstructure phenomena,the microstructure model was established to correlate the parameters of tri-modal microstructure and processing conditions.Then,the developed microstructure model was integrated with finite element(FE)model to predict the tri-modal microstructure in the isothermal local loading forming.Its reliability and accuracy were verified by the microstructure observation at different locations of sample.Good agreements between the predicted and experimental results suggest that the developed microstructure model and its combination with FE model are effective in the prediction of tri-modal microstructure in the isothermal local loading forming of TA15alloy.

HEXAHEDRAL ELEMENT REFINEMENT FOR THE PREDICTION- CORRECTION ALE FEM SIMULATION OF 3D BULKINGFORMING PROCESS

Based on the characteristics of 3D bulk forming process, the arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) formulation-based FEM is studied, and a prediction-correction ALE-based FEM is proposed which integrates the advantages of precisely predicting the boundary configuration of the deformed material, and of efficiently avoiding hexahedron remeshing processes. The key idea of the prediction-correction ALE FEM is elaborated in detail. Accordingly, the strategy of mesh quality control, one of the key enabling techniques for the 3D bulk forming process numerical simulation by the prediction-correction ALE FEM is carefully investigated, and the algorithm for hexahedral element refinement is formulated based on the mesh distortion energy.

Processing of 3D meshed surfaces using spherical wavelets

This paper presents an efficient technique for processing of 3D meshed surfaces via spherical wavelets. More specifically, an input 3D mesh is firstly transformed into a spherical vector signal by a fast low distortion spherical parameterization approach based on symmetry analysis of 3D meshes. This signal is then sampled on the sphere with the help of an adaptive sampling scheme. Finally, the sampled signal is transformed into the wavelet domain according to spherical wavelet transform where many 3D mesh processing operations can be implemented such as smoothing, enhancement, compression, and so on. Our main contribution lies in incorporating a fast low distortion spherical parameterization approach and an adaptive sampling scheme into the frame for pro- cessing 3D meshed surfaces by spherical wavelets, which can handle surfaces with complex shapes. A number of experimental ex- amples demonstrate that our algorithm is robust and efficient.

Non-Synchronous Deformation Effect of Particle in Sheet Metal Forming Process

A new concept referred to the non-synchronous deformation effect of particle in sheet metal forming is proposed. The results of finite element analysis show that the flow resistance of sheet metal can be effectively reduced and thus the forming property can be greatly improved if the moving and deformation state of the neighboring elements with equal perpendicular distance to the entrance contour of die is non-synchronous. Experiment tests are presented and the results agree well with FEA simulation. In addition, the mechanism of the non-synchronous effect is analyzed in detail.

FE simulation and process analysis on forming of aluminum alloy multi-layer cylinder parts with flow control forming

The aluminum alloy parts used in airbag of car were studied with flow control forming(FCF) method, which was a good way to low forming force and better mechanical properties. The key technology of FCF was the design of control chamber to divide metal flow. So, the design method of FCF was analyzed and two type of control chamber were put forward. According to divisional principle, calculation model of forming force and approximate formula were given. Then forming process of aluminum alloy multi-layer cylinder parts was simulated. The effect of friction factor, die radius and punch velocity on metal flow and forming force was obtained. Finally, the experiment was preformed under the direction of theory and finite element(FE) simulation results. And the qualified parts were manufactured. The simulation data and experimental results show that the forming sequence of inner wall and outer wall, and then the force step, can be controlled by adjusting the process parameters. And the FCF technology proposed has very important application value in precision forging.

Ore-finding method of fault tectono-geochemistry in the Tongchang Cu-Au polymetallic orefield, Shaanxi, China:Ⅰ. Dynamics of tectonic ore-forming processes and prognosis of concealed ores

Based on the research content and conception of dynamics of tectonic ore-forming processes, with the focus on the dynamics and processes of mineral source, ore formation, transport, accumulation, dissipation and mineralization in response to magmatic invasion and metallogenic fluid under tectonic stress, this paper deals with the ore-finding method of fault tectono-geochemistry and its application on the basis of ore deposit genesis, "giant pressure shadow" structure and ore-finding method of tectonic stress field in the Tongchang orefield, expounds the rules of magmatic emplacement and ore fluid migration and concentration under the control of the structural stress field, hence providing the theoretical basis for the localization and prognosis of concealed ores. The fault tectono-geochemical features show that the Cu-Au polymetallic ore deposits (mineralization) in the orefield are closely related with volcano-(exhalation) sedimentation, magmatism and tectono-reworking. Fault tectono-geochemical anomalies can be applied to prognosis of metallogenetic target areas for ore exploration and can provide strong evidence of "giant pressure shadow" structure. In addition, quite a number of important target areas have been defined in combination with the characteristics of the tectonic stress field, and part of the target areas have been proved by practical activities.

Fluid Evolution and Ore-forming Processes of the Jiama Cu Deposit, Tibet： Evidence from Fluid Inclusions

The Jiama deposit is a large copper deposit in Tibet. Mineralization occurs in three different host rocks： skarn, hornfels and porphyry. A detailed fluid inclusion study was conducted for veins in the different host rocks to investigate the relationship between fluid evolution and ore-forming processes. Based on examination of cores from 36 drill holes, three types of veins （A, B and D） were identified in the porphyries, four types （I, II, III and IV） in the skarn, and three （a, b and c） in the hornfels. The crosscutting relationships of the veins and that of the host rocks suggest two hydrothermal stages, one early and one late stage. Fluid inclusions indicate that the Jiama hydrothermal fluid system underwent at least two episodes of fluid boiling. The first boiling event occurred during the early hydrothermal stage, as recorded by fluid inclusions hosted in type A veins in the porphyries, type a veins in the hornfels, and wollastonite in the skarns. This fluid boiling event was associated with relatively weak mineralization. The second boiling event occurred in the late hydrothermal stage, as determined from fluid inclusions hosted in type B and D veins in the porphyries, type I to IV veins in the skarns, and type b and c veins in the hornfels. This late boiling event, together with mixing with meteoric water, was responsible for more than 90% of the metal accumulation in the deposit. The first boiling only occurred in the central part of the deposit and the second boiling event took place across an entire interlayered structural zone between hornfels and marble. A spatial zoning of ore-elements is evident, and appears to be related to different migration pathways and precipitation temperatures of Cu, Mo, Pb, Zn, Au and Ag.

Numerical Methodology for Metal Forming Processes Using Elastoplastic Model with Damage Occurrence

Ductile damage often occurs during metal forming processes due to the large thermo-elasto （visco） plastic flow Iocalisation. This paper presents a numerical methodology, which aims to virtually improve any metal forming processes. The methodology is based on elastoplastic constitutive equations accounting for nonlinear mixed isotropic and kinematic hardening strongly coupled with isotropic ductile damage. An adaptive remeshing scheme based on geometrical and physical error estimates including a kill element procedure is used. Some numerical results are presented to show the capability of the model to predict the damage initiation and growth during the metal forming processes.