Development of a Hydraulic Actuator to Superimpose Oscillation in Metal-Forming Presses

A novel principle of a rotary piston valve and a high-frequency cylinder for a hydraulic actuation system are presented. This system will be utilized in metal-forming presses to superimpose a high-frequency oscillation on the movement of the ram. This technique was proven to enhance the forming parts quality, to extend the process limits and to reduce the forming force significantly. The key components of the valve are a stator and a rotary piston with radial drilled holes that is designed to provide a pulsating pressure and mass flow rate at a high frequency. A hydraulic cylinder is connected to the valve and converts the pulsating flow into a dynamic process force. The valve and the cylinder will be mounted on the bolster plate of a metal-forming press. In order to superimpose oscillation in the main forming direction, the cylinder is centered under the punch of the metal-forming tool. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations have been conducted to evaluate and to optimize the designs of the main components of the system. Hereby the commercial simulation code of ANSYS CFX was employed to determine the properties of the cylinder and the valve. Through its mesh motion technique, this simulation code allows the flow analysis between the rotary and the stationary part of the valve. Furthermore the dynamic characteristics of the system have been investigated under the influence of inertia and the compressibility of oil.