Design of an Intermediate Die for the Multi-Pass Shape Drawing Process

Area of Science:

• Manufacturing Engineering
• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Multi-pass shape drawing is crucial for manufacturing long, complex metal components like cross-roller guides.
• Cross-roller guides are essential for high-precision movement in optical measurement equipment.
• Dimensional accuracy of these guides directly impacts the performance of precision linear motion systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel design method for intermediate dies to mitigate unfilled defects.
• To enhance the dimensional accuracy of components manufactured via multi-pass shape drawing.
• To reduce radial velocity variations within the drawing die's deformation zone.

Main Methods:

• Development of an equal-radial-velocity variation method for intermediate die design.
• Design of the intermediate die using only final product geometrical data, bypassing initial finite element (FE) analysis.
• Application of the new method to a cross-roller guide manufacturing process.
• Validation through comparative FE analysis against conventional equipotential line methods.
• Experimental verification comparing target shape, FE analysis, and empirical data.

Main Results:

• The proposed equal-radial-velocity variation method effectively minimizes radial velocity variations.
• FE analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in unfilled defects compared to conventional methods.
• Experimental results confirmed the FE analysis predictions and the effectiveness of the new design approach.

Conclusions:

• The novel intermediate die design method successfully reduces unfilled defects in multi-pass shape drawing.
• Minimizing radial velocity variation is key to improving dimensional accuracy for complex cross-sections.
• This approach offers a more efficient and accurate design process for manufacturing high-precision components like cross-roller guides.