Finite element simulation and experiment of surface densification of P/M Fe-2Cu-0.6C gears by rolling

A Three-dimensional finite element model was used to analyze the surface densification of Fe-2Cu-0.6C P/M gears during a rolling process. The distributions of effective strain, effective stress and relative density of the sample during rolling process were obtained. The rolling experiment was conducted using a standard spur tool gear to verify the accuracy of finite element analysis. The simulation results show differences of the effective strain distributions on two opposite flanks of a tooth. On the approach side, the maximum strain occurs near pitch circle while on the trail side the maximum strain is found at tooth tip. The effective stress increases fast at initial rolling process and tends to steady with the number of rolling cycles increasing. The density increasing process of gear tooth could be divided into three stages: fast increasing, slowly increasing and remaining stability. After rolling progress, there exists density distribution gradient with a densified layer about 0.3~0.5 mm at the tooth surface. The experiment results are in better agree with simulation ones, which verified the accuracy of finite element analysis. © 2015, Central South University. All right reserved.