Numerical and experimental study on forming preforms in a CNC skew rolling mill

This paper relates to a study on the formation of elongated preforms in a CNC skew rolling mill. First, a numerical analysis was performed to investigate forming processes for three different parts: a scraper, a connecting rod, and a hook. The shapes and dimensions of preforms were designed, and rolling and closed-died forging processes for producing these parts were simulated numerically. Distributions of temperature, effective strain and damage function were determined for rolled preforms. Loads and torques in the rolling process were measured. It was found that the forming process of preforms performed in a CNC skew rolling mill was characterized by relatively low force parameters in relation to the dimensions of formed parts. Numerical simulations of the forging process showed that all forged parts had the required shape, which indicates that the preforms were designed correctly. Following the numerical analysis, experiments were performed in which the preforms were rolled under laboratory conditions (in a scale of 1:2). Experimental results demonstrated that the rolled parts had no internal defects (cracks) and were characterized by high dimensional accuracy.