Magnesium Alloy Wheel Hub Forging With Sectional Deformation Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing forging technologies for magnesium alloy wheel hubs face challenges in achieving excellent mechanical properties due to the poor forgeability of magnesium alloy materials, often requiring high-tonnage presses and resulting in poor material properties and potential cracking.

Innovation Solution

A forging process involving heating the magnesium alloy bar to 350-420°C, followed by controlled sectional forging under a 6000-ton press, with varying down-pressing speeds to manage deformation stages, ensuring continuous deformation and reducing the risk of cracking.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If traditional forging technology is used on magnesium alloy, then the material can be forged with high-tonnage presses (8000 tons or more), but the forged products show poor material properties and potential cracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial propertiesVSAvoidforgeability
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by heating the magnesium alloy to specific temperature ranges (350-420°C) before forging, and by controlling the forging speed within specific ranges (12-15 mm/s, 9-13 mm/s, 6-10 mm/s for different stages). These parameter optimizations improve the material's forgeability without requiring excessive tonnage, thereby enhancing material properties while avoiding cracking.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent segments the forging process into three distinct stages with different down-pressing speed controls: (1) initial pressing at 12-15 mm/s, (2) intermediate pressing at 9-13 mm/s, and (3) final pressing at 6-10 mm/s. This segmentation allows controlled deformation at each stage, preventing sudden stress concentration that causes cracking while maintaining excellent material properties.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If high-tonnage presses (8000 tons or more) are used to forge magnesium alloy, then the material can be deformed, but the forged products show poor material properties

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeformation capabilityVSAvoidmaterial properties
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the temperature parameter to 350-420°C heating range and controls forging speed within specific ranges, which improves the magnesium alloy's deformation capability. This allows effective forging with reduced tonnage (6000-ton press) while maintaining or enhancing material properties, avoiding the poor properties associated with traditional high-tonnage forging.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements dynamic control of the forging process by adjusting down-pressing speed at different stages: faster speed (12-15 mm/s) in the initial stage, moderate speed (9-13 mm/s) in the intermediate stage, and slower speed (6-10 mm/s) in the final stage. This dynamic adjustment optimizes deformation control throughout the process, achieving excellent material properties without requiring excessive press tonnage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Device complexity

If magnesium alloy is forged without temperature control, then the process is simpler, but the material shows poor forgeability and is prone to cracking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveprocess complexityVSAvoidforgeability
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces temperature control as a key parameter, heating the magnesium alloy to 350-420°C before forging. This parameter change dramatically improves the material's forgeability and eliminates cracking issues. The added temperature control step, while increasing process complexity slightly, is essential for achieving reliable forging results with magnesium alloy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The process enhances the forgeability and mechanical properties of the magnesium alloy wheel hub, meeting stringent standards for impact strength, radial fatigue, and bending fatigue, while improving processing efficiency and reducing the risk of material defects.

Implementation Method 1

heating the magnesium alloy bar to 350-420°C

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

the bar is pressed down from an initial length to 2/3 of the initial length of the bar

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 3

forging and forming the bar in sections under a forging press

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPlasticity: Plasticity

Data Source

PatentEP4144457B1Forging process of magnesium alloy wheel hub
Publication Date: 2024.11.20 CITIC DICASTAL CO LTD
  • EP4144457B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4144457B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4144457B1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

The forging process of a magnesium alloy wheel hub comprises the following steps: step 1, heating a magnesium alloy bar to 350∼420°C and keeping the temperature for 20 minutes; step 2, forging and forming the bar under a 6000-ton forging press, and controlling the forging process in sections. The forging process of the invention adopts sectional control, different forging process parameters are adopted in different forging stages, so that magnesium alloy bars can exert maximum forgeability in different deformation stages, make magnesium alloy deformation process more continuous, make forging process easier, obtain forged magnesium alloy wheel hub with excellent properties, and greatly improve forging process and processing efficiency.