Surface forming mechanism and numerical simulation study in four-roll flexible rolling forming

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Manufacturing Processes
• Mechanical Engineering

Background:

• Four-roll flexible rolling forming faces challenges with low efficiency and high residual stresses, especially for lightweight, high-strength materials like LY12 aluminum alloy.
• Understanding the surface forming mechanism is crucial for improving the process and material quality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and optimize the surface forming mechanism in four-roll flexible rolling forming.
• To address issues of low efficiency and high residual stresses in forming LY12 aluminum alloy.
• To provide a feasible optimization parameter scheme for industrial application.

Main Methods:

• Systematic analysis of sheet curvature radius variations under different forming methods.
• Experimental four-roll flexible rolling forming of LY12 aluminum alloy.
• Finite element analysis (FEA) to simulate stress, deformation, and temperature distribution.
• Optimization of process parameters based on simulation results.

Main Results:

• Optimized process parameters led to a 14.95% improvement in forming accuracy.
• Optimized process parameters resulted in a 30.52% reduction in residual stress.
• Demonstrated uniformity of the forming process for LY12 aluminum alloy with varying hardness and thickness.

Conclusions:

• The study provides a deep understanding of the four-roll flexible rolling forming process.
• A feasible optimization parameter scheme was developed, enhancing product quality and efficiency.
• Offers specific guidance for applying lightweight, high-strength materials like LY12 aluminum alloy in production.