A Comparative Study of Helical and Cross-Wedge Rolling Processes for Producing Ball Studs

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Rolling technologies are crucial for metal forming.
• Cross-wedge rolling (CWR) and helical-wedge rolling (HWR) are advanced forming processes.
• Comparing CWR and HWR for specific applications like ball stud forging requires detailed analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the energy efficiency and material behavior of CWR and HWR.
• To analyze strain distribution and damage criteria in both rolling processes.
• To evaluate the microstructural and macrostructural outcomes of CWR and HWR on ball stud forgings.

Main Methods:

• Finite element modeling (FEM) to simulate CWR and HWR processes.
• Calculation of strain distributions and Cockcroft-Latham damage criterion.
• Experimental validation including force/energy measurements, microstructure analysis, and macrostructure (grain flow) comparison.

Main Results:

• FEM simulations provided insights into strain and damage.
• Experimental results quantified force and energy parameters for both technologies.
• Microstructural and macrostructural analyses revealed differences in material flow and grain structure.
• Helical-wedge rolling (HWR) demonstrated superior energy efficiency compared to cross-wedge rolling (CWR).

Conclusions:

• HWR is a more energy-efficient process for ball stud forging.
• The study provides a comprehensive comparison of CWR and HWR based on simulation and experimental data.
• Findings contribute to optimizing rolling technology selection for improved manufacturing efficiency.