A Combined Cold Extrusion for a Drive Shaft: A Parametric Study on Tool Geometry

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Science
• Computational Mechanics

Background:

• Combined cold extrusion of drive shafts with complex features like spur gears and internal splines presents challenges in achieving dimensional accuracy.
• Tool geometry, specifically shoulder angles, significantly influences the outcome of cold forging processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of shoulder angles on tool geometry for the combined cold extrusion of a drive shaft.
• To determine the optimal shoulder angle combination for achieving desired dimensional accuracy in spur gear and internal spline features.

Main Methods:

• Three-dimensional finite element (FE) simulations were employed to analyze the cold extrusion process.
• Parametric studies were conducted by varying shoulder angles (30°, 45°, 60°) for preform forging and combined extrusion.
• AISI 1035 carbon steel was used as the initial billet material, with a preform adopted to manage plastic deformation.

Main Results:

• Nine geometric parameter combinations of shoulder angles were simulated to evaluate deformed features and geometric compatibility.
• The simulations demonstrated the influence of shoulder angles on the spur gear and internal spline formation.
• The (45°, 45°) shoulder angle combination for preform forging and combined extrusion was found to satisfy the dimensional requirements of the drive shaft.

Conclusions:

• The shoulder angle is a critical parameter in the combined cold extrusion of drive shafts with integrated spur gear and internal spline features.
• Finite element simulations provide a reliable method for optimizing tool geometry in cold forging processes.
• The optimal shoulder angle combination of (45°, 45°) ensures the successful production of drive shafts meeting specified dimensional tolerances.