Method and apparatus for producing titanium alloy profiles

Abstract

The application provides a titanium alloy profile preparation method and device. The preparation method comprises the following steps: designing the profile of a first main roller and a driving roller according to a cross-section envelope surface; placing a titanium alloy blank heated to a first preset temperature between the profile of the first main roller and the profile of the driving roller for rolling to form a titanium alloy ring rolling piece; opening a notch on the titanium alloy ring rolling piece to form a notched ring rolling piece; placing the radial outer side surface of the notched ring rolling piece at a second preset temperature on a supporting roller, arranging a second main roller and two flattening rollers on the radial inner side surface of the notched ring rolling piece; supporting the notched ring rolling piece outward along the radial direction by the flattening rollers, reversely bending under the action of a bending moment, pressing the second main roller downward by a preset compression amount, gradually extending the radial inner side surface of the notched ring rolling piece, and obtaining a titanium alloy profile. The titanium alloy profile prepared by the preparation method has good cross-section consistency, excellent comprehensive performance, high production efficiency and low cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of non-ferrous metal wire preparation technology, and more specifically, to a method and apparatus for preparing titanium alloy profiles. Background Technology

[0002] Internationally, titanium alloy extrusion is the mainstream manufacturing process for titanium alloy profiles. Besides titanium alloy extrusion forming, there is also titanium alloy forming and rolling. Currently, Russia's VSMPO-AVISMA (Salda-AVISMA) and the US's RTI represent the world's leading levels in extrusion technology. VSMPO-AVISMA can produce over 70 types of titanium alloy extruded profiles: based on cross-sectional shape, they can be divided into right-angle, acute-angle, obtuse-angle, Z-shaped, U-shaped, and T-shaped profiles; based on side length and wall thickness, they can be divided into equal side length, unequal side length, equal wall thickness, unequal wall thickness, thin-walled, and thick-walled profiles, conforming to titanium alloy standards such as MIT-T 8155CA and AMS 4935F. RTI International Metals in the US produces titanium alloy profiles or profile-like parts by combining thick-walled titanium alloy profiles with CNC machining, supplying profiles to EADS and Airbus manufacturing plants in France, Germany, Spain, and the UK. Domestically, titanium alloy profile manufacturers, such as BaoTi, also produce titanium alloy profiles through extrusion. For example... Figure 1 The diagram illustrates a prior art titanium alloy extrusion molding process. Based on the principle of constant volume, this method uses a punch or die to process a blank placed in a die, causing it to undergo plastic flow, thereby obtaining a part corresponding to the die's orifice or the shape of the punch and die. Triaxial compressive stress is generated during extrusion, allowing even blanks with low plasticity to be extruded and formed.

[0003] Extrusion processing of titanium alloy profiles presents significant challenges in controlling their shape and properties. This is especially true for titanium alloy profiles with complex cross-sections, where problems such as poor dimensional consistency, poor surface quality, and insufficient core performance in thick-walled profiles are highly likely to occur during extrusion.

[0004] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a prior art titanium alloy rolling forming process. This process involves multiple passes using die-cutting patterns of corresponding shapes. By allocating different deformation amounts based on the multi-pass die design, bars or square blanks are rolled into titanium alloy profiles with the desired cross-section. This process offers significant advantages, such as good cross-sectional consistency and excellent overall performance. However, it also suffers from drawbacks, including a large number of forming passes, a huge number of required dies, a long development cycle, and high costs. Summary of the Invention

[0005] (a) Technical problems to be solved

[0006] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is that the existing extrusion process for preparing titanium alloy profiles is difficult to control in terms of shape and properties. In particular, for titanium alloy profiles with complex cross-sections, the extrusion process is prone to problems such as poor cross-sectional dimension consistency, poor surface quality, and insufficient core performance of thick-walled profiles. In addition, the existing rolling process for preparing titanium alloys has problems such as many forming passes, a huge number of molds required, long development cycle, and high cost.

[0007] (II) Technical Solution

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows:

[0009] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for preparing a titanium alloy profile, the titanium alloy profile having a cross-sectional envelope of a predetermined shape, the preparation method comprising the following steps:

[0010] Step 1: Design the profiles of the first main roll and the drive roll based on the cross-sectional envelope surface;

[0011] Step 2: Place the titanium alloy blank heated to the first preset temperature between the profile of the first main roll and the profile of the drive roll, start the drive roll, and the drive roll and the first main roll roll the titanium alloy blank to form a titanium alloy ring rolled part;

[0012] Step 3: Create a notch in the titanium alloy ring-rolled part to form a notched ring-rolled part;

[0013] Step 4: Place the radial outer side of the notched ring rolled piece at the second preset temperature on the support roll, and arrange the second main roll and two flattening rolls on the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece, wherein the diameter of the second main roll is larger than that of the flattening roll, and the two flattening rolls are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roll.

[0014] Step 5: The flattening roller supports the notched ring rolled piece radially outward, and under the action of bending moment, it bends in the opposite direction, pressing down the second main roller by a preset compression amount, gradually extending the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece to obtain a titanium alloy profile.

[0015] Preferably, the preset compression amount is equal to the difference between the theoretical thickness and the actual thickness of the titanium alloy profile.

[0016] Preferably, the first preset temperature is 920-940℃.

[0017] Preferably, the second preset temperature is 900–920°C.

[0018] Secondly, the present invention also provides a titanium alloy profile preparation apparatus for implementing any of the above-described titanium alloy profile preparation methods. The preparation apparatus includes a ring rolling assembly and a flattening assembly. The ring rolling assembly includes a first main roll, a drive roll, and a first rotary motor. The first main roll and the drive roll are arranged opposite to each other, and the drive roll is connected to the first rotary motor. The drive roll and the first main roll are used to roll a titanium alloy billet into a titanium alloy ring-rolled part. The flattening assembly includes a plurality of support rolls, a second main roll, at least two flattening rolls, and a second rotary motor. The second main roll is connected to the second rotary motor. The two flattening rolls are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roll. One of the support rolls is arranged opposite to the second main roll. The two support rolls are arranged opposite to the two flattening rolls one-to-one. The second main roll and the flattening rolls are used to flatten the notched ring-rolled part into a titanium alloy profile.

[0019] Preferably, the first main roll, drive roll, support roll, second main roll, and flattening roll are each provided with a profile that matches the cross-sectional envelope of the titanium alloy profile along their axial circumference.

[0020] Preferably, the preparation apparatus further includes a pressing structure connected to the second main roll, the pressing structure being capable of driving the second main roll to move radially along the second main roll.

[0021] (III) Beneficial Effects

[0022] The above-described technical solution of the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0023] 1. This invention involves placing a titanium alloy blank heated to a first preset temperature between the profiles of a first main roll and a drive roll. The first main roll and the drive roll roll the titanium alloy blank to obtain titanium alloy ring-rolled parts with different cross-sectional shapes. Then, notches are made in the titanium alloy ring-rolled parts, transforming them from closed ring structures into expandable notched ring-rolled parts. Finally, a flattening assembly is used to flatten the notched ring-rolled parts at a second preset temperature to form titanium alloy profiles. Compared to the extrusion molding process of titanium alloys in the prior art, the titanium alloy profiles obtained by the preparation method provided in this application have good cross-sectional consistency, high comprehensive performance, low cost, and high efficiency. Compared to the rolling molding process of titanium alloys in the prior art, the preparation method provided in this application requires simpler equipment structures, does not require multiple molds with different shaped holes, has fewer process steps, and does not require multiple rolling passes. Therefore, it avoids the problems of many forming passes, a large number of required molds, long development cycles, and high costs.

[0024] 2. Because the temperature of the notched ring rolled piece is maintained within the second preset temperature range with good ductility, and under the downward pressure of the second main roll, a plastic extension zone is formed at the interface between the second main roll and the notched ring rolled piece. The titanium alloy material in this zone is extruded to both sides under the downward pressure of the second main roll, and as the second main roll rotates in the forward or reverse direction, the extruded titanium alloy material extends to both sides. The curved notched ring rolled piece is straightened by the bending moment of the flattening roll. During the asymptotic rolling process, the inner arc length of the notched ring rolled piece is gradually extended to the same length as the outer arc, thereby realizing the reverse bending and inner extension straightening of the titanium alloy material. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps for extruding titanium alloy profiles in the existing technology.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the process steps for rolling titanium alloy profiles in existing technologies.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the ring rolling assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional envelope of the titanium alloy profile provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the flattening component provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the implementation principle of the flattening component provided in this embodiment of the invention.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the flattened state of the notched ring rolled part provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 This is one of the schematic diagrams showing the state of the flattened notched ring rolled part provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 9 This is the second schematic diagram of the state of the flattened notched ring rolled part provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 10This is the third schematic diagram of the state of the flattened notched ring rolled part provided in the embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] The labels for the attached figures are as follows:

[0037] 1. Ring rolling assembly; 2. Flattening assembly; 11. First main roll; 12. Drive roll; 13. Guide roll; 14. Tapered roll; 21. Support roll; 22. Second main roll; 23. Flattening roll; 100. Titanium alloy ring rolled piece; 110. Notch; 200. Notched ring rolled piece; 210. Plastic extension zone. Detailed Implementation

[0038] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be located directly on or indirectly on the other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to the other component.

[0040] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention, and do not indicate that the device or element must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0041] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating relative importance or the number of technical features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. The specific implementation of this invention will be described in more detail below with reference to specific embodiments:

[0042] like Figure 3 , Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a titanium alloy profile manufacturing apparatus, which includes a ring rolling assembly 1 and a flattening assembly 2. The ring rolling assembly 1 includes a first main roll 11, a drive roll 12, and a first rotary motor (not shown). The first main roll 11 and the drive roll 12 are arranged opposite to each other, and the drive roll 12 is connected to the first rotary motor. The drive roll 12 and the first main roll 11 are used to roll the titanium alloy billet into a titanium alloy ring rolled piece 100, and to make a notch in the titanium alloy ring rolled piece 100 to form a notched ring rolled piece 20. 0; The flattening assembly 2 includes multiple support rollers 21, a second main roller 22, at least two flattening rollers 23, and a second rotary motor 24. The second main roller 22 is connected to the second rotary motor 24. The two flattening rollers 23 are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roller 22. One support roller 21 is arranged opposite to the second main roller 22. The two support rollers 21 are arranged opposite to the two flattening rollers 23 one-to-one. The second main roller 22 and the flattening rollers 23 are used to flatten the notched ring rolled piece 200 into a titanium alloy profile. The diameter of the second main roller 22 is larger than that of the flattening roller 23. The second main roller 22 is located in the area of ​​the notched ring rolled piece 200 with a large curvature. Therefore, a larger diameter second main roller 22 is required to improve its contact surface and the extrusion effect on the notched ring rolled piece 200.

[0043] In one embodiment, the first main roll 11, the drive roll 12, the support roll 21, the second main roll 22, and the flattening roll 23 are respectively provided with a profile that matches the cross-sectional envelope of the titanium alloy profile along their axial circumference.

[0044] In one embodiment, the preparation apparatus further includes a pressing structure (not shown), which is connected to the second main roll 22 and can drive the second main roll 22 to move radially. Specifically, the pressing structure can be a mechanism such as a linear motor or a hydraulic cylinder that can drive the second main roll 22 to perform linear motion.

[0045] In one embodiment, the ring rolling assembly 1 further includes at least two guide rollers 13, wherein the two guide rollers 13 are arranged on both sides of the first main roll 11, the axis of the guide rollers 13 is parallel to the axis of the first main roll 11, and the side of the guide rollers 13 abuts against the surface of the titanium alloy billet. The guide rollers 13 can limit the movement of the titanium alloy billet to achieve rolling the titanium alloy billet into a ring shape.

[0046] In one embodiment, the ring rolling assembly 1 further includes at least two tapered rolls 14, wherein the two tapered rolls 14 are arranged opposite to each other and respectively abut against the two end faces of the titanium alloy blank. It should be noted that a roll is a cylindrical machine component that can roll, therefore the first main roll 11, drive roll 12, guide roll 13, tapered roll 14, support roll 21, second main roll 22 and flattening roll 23 can all rotate along their own axes, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0047] In one embodiment, the ring rolling assembly 1 further includes a feed structure (not shown), the output end of which is connected to the tapered roll 14. The feed structure can drive the tapered roll 14 to move along its axis. The rotation of the tapered roll 14 can roll both ends of the titanium alloy blank. Controlling the feed amount of the tapered roll 14 can control the compression amount of the two ends of the titanium alloy blank, thereby controlling the end face dimensions. Furthermore, the outer surface shape of the tapered roll 14 can be adjusted to obtain a titanium alloy profile with an enveloping structure on all four sides, such as a notched profile. Specifically, the feed structure can be a linear motor or hydraulic cylinder, or other mechanism capable of driving the second main roll 22 to perform linear motion.

[0048] This invention also provides a method for preparing a titanium alloy profile, the titanium alloy profile having a cross-sectional envelope of a predetermined shape, the preparation method comprising the following steps:

[0049] Step 1: Design the profiles of the first main roll 11 and the drive roll 12 based on the cross-sectional envelope surface;

[0050] Step 2: Place the titanium alloy blank heated to the first preset temperature between the profile of the first main roll 11 and the profile of the drive roll 12, start the drive roll 12, and the drive roll 12 and the first main roll 11 roll the titanium alloy blank to form a titanium alloy ring rolled part 100.

[0051] Step 3: Open a notch 110 on the titanium alloy ring rolled part 100 to form a notched ring rolled part 200;

[0052] Step 4: Place the radial outer side of the notched ring rolled piece 200 at the second preset temperature on the support roll 21, and arrange the second main roll 22 and two flattening rolls 23 on the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece 200. The diameter of the second main roll 22 is larger than that of the flattening roll 23, and the two flattening rolls 23 are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roll 22.

[0053] Step 5: The flattening roll 23 supports the notched ring rolled piece 200 radially outward, and under the action of bending moment, it bends in the opposite direction, pressing down the second main roll 22 by a preset compression amount, gradually extending the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece 200 to obtain a titanium alloy profile. Figure 6As shown, a plastic extension zone 210 is formed at the interface between the second main roll 22 and the notched ring roll 200. The titanium alloy material in this zone is extruded to both sides under the downward pressure of the second main roll 22, and as the second main roll 22 rotates, the extruded titanium alloy material extends to both sides. The curved notched ring roll 200 is straightened by the bending moment of the flattening roll 23. During the asymptotic rolling process, the inner arc length of the notched ring roll 200 is gradually extended to the same length as the outer arc, thereby realizing the reverse bending and inner extension straightening of the titanium alloy material.

[0054] In one embodiment, the preset compression amount is equal to the difference between the theoretical thickness and the actual thickness of the titanium alloy profile.

[0055] In one embodiment, the first preset temperature is 920-940°C. Within this temperature range, titanium alloys exhibit good plasticity, facilitating the rolling of rectangular or circular titanium alloy blanks into titanium alloy ring-rolled parts 100 with special cross-sections.

[0056] In one embodiment, the second preset temperature is 900–920°C. Within this temperature range, the titanium alloy exhibits good ductility, facilitating the flattening of the curved notched ring roll 200 into a straight titanium alloy profile.

[0057] The following describes the specific implementation steps of the preparation method provided by this invention, using the preparation steps of a titanium alloy profile with a spindle-shaped cross-sectional envelope as an example:

[0058] like Figure 6 , Figure 7 , Figure 8 , Figure 9 as well as Figure 10As shown, the dimensions of the titanium alloy profile are designed first. In this embodiment, the dimensions of the titanium alloy profile are: length × maximum width × maximum thickness = 3140mm × 89mm × 38mm. Considering the end allowance of the titanium alloy profile after straightening, the inner diameter R1 of the titanium alloy ring rolled part 100 is calculated to be 1100mm and the outer diameter R2 is 1138mm. Based on the cross-sectional envelope of the titanium alloy ring roll 100, the profiles of the main rolls and drive rolls are designed, and the corresponding main rolls and drive rolls are manufactured and installed on the rolling mill. The titanium alloy billet is preheated to the rolling temperature range of 920-940℃ and then installed on the equipment. The temperature after transfer must not be lower than 900℃. The ring rolling process is used to roll the titanium alloy ring roll 100 with a spindle-shaped cross-sectional envelope. After rolling and cooling, a notch 110 is made at a certain position on the titanium alloy ring roll 100 to break the closed ring of the titanium alloy ring roll 100, forming a notched ring roll 200. The notched ring roll 200 is placed on the support roll 21, and the temperature of the notched ring roll 200 is maintained at 900-920℃. The diameter of the second main roll 22 in the flattening assembly 2 is selected, and the total compression is calculated to control the feed distance of the second main roll 22, and then rolling is performed. The flattening roll 23 supports the notched ring rolled piece 200 radially outward and bends in the opposite direction under the action of bending moment; the second main roll 22 is pressed down by a specified amount of compression, thereby gradually extending the inner local area of ​​the notched ring rolled piece 200 to obtain the flattened titanium alloy profile.

[0059] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for preparing titanium alloy profiles, characterized in that, The titanium alloy profile has a cross-sectional envelope of a predetermined shape, and the preparation method includes the following steps: Step 1: Design the profiles of the first main roll and the drive roll based on the cross-sectional envelope surface; Step 2: Place the titanium alloy blank heated to the first preset temperature between the profile of the first main roll and the profile of the drive roll, start the drive roll, and the drive roll and the first main roll roll the titanium alloy blank to form a titanium alloy ring rolled part; Step 3: Create a notch in the titanium alloy ring-rolled part to form a notched ring-rolled part; Step 4: Place the radial outer side of the notched ring rolled piece at the second preset temperature on the support roll, and arrange the second main roll and two flattening rolls on the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece, wherein the diameter of the second main roll is larger than that of the flattening roll, and the two flattening rolls are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roll. Step 5: The flattening roller supports the notched ring rolled piece radially outward, and under the action of bending moment, it bends in the opposite direction, pressing down the second main roll by a preset compression amount, gradually extending the radial inner side of the notched ring rolled piece to obtain a titanium alloy profile; wherein, the pressing is driven by a pressing structure, which can drive the second main roll to move radially along the second main roll.

2. The method for preparing titanium alloy profiles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preset compression amount is equal to the difference between the theoretical thickness and the actual thickness of the titanium alloy profile.

3. The method for preparing titanium alloy profiles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first preset temperature is 920-940℃.

4. The method for preparing titanium alloy profiles as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The second preset temperature is 900~920℃.

5. A titanium alloy profile manufacturing apparatus, characterized in that, For implementing the titanium alloy profile preparation method according to any one of claims 1-4, the preparation apparatus includes: A ring rolling assembly, comprising a first main roll, a drive roll, and a first rotary motor, wherein the first main roll and the drive roll are disposed opposite to each other, the drive roll is connected to the first rotary motor, and the drive roll and the first main roll are used to roll a titanium alloy billet into a titanium alloy ring rolled part. A flattening assembly includes multiple support rolls, a second main roll, at least two flattening rolls, and a second rotary motor. The second main roll is connected to the second rotary motor. The two flattening rolls are respectively arranged on both sides of the second main roll. One support roll is arranged opposite to the second main roll. The two support rolls are arranged opposite to the two flattening rolls one-to-one. The second main roll and the flattening rolls are used to flatten the notched ring rolled part into a titanium alloy profile. The preparation apparatus further includes a pressing structure connected to the second main roll, which can drive the second main roll to move radially along the second main roll.

6. The titanium alloy profile manufacturing apparatus as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The first main roll, drive roll, support roll, second main roll, and flattening roll are each provided with a profile that matches the cross-sectional envelope of the titanium alloy profile along their axial circumference.

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