Spline Rolling Tool Inlet Geometry for Long Profile Forming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing rolling machines experience high wear and limited service life due to short inlet areas, which restrict the production of long profiles and workpieces, and are often limited by the geometry of the workpiece and tool dimensions.
Innovation Solution
A rolling machine with a CNC-controlled system featuring a rolling tool with a larger inlet area and a relief area, allowing radial feed and axial movement, enabling a push-through rolling process that distributes feed force over a wider area, and a method involving plunge rolling, feed rolling, and chamfering to produce profiles without geometric limitations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If the inlet area of the rolling tool is shortened, then the service life of the rolling machine is reduced, but the device complexity is decreased
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling tool is divided into multiple functional areas (inlet area, calibration area, relief area) with distinct geometries. The inlet area is extended and segmented to distribute feed forces over a longer contact length, reducing wear on any single point while maintaining manageable tool structure through functional zonation.
Solution Approach 2:
The inlet area is extended in the axial dimension rather than increasing radial depth, distributing the feeding action over a longer axial length. This dimensional change reduces the concentration of forces in the radial direction, decreasing wear intensity while preserving tool structural simplicity.
2Reliability
If the inlet area of the rolling tool is extended, then wear is reduced and service life is extended, but the tool dimensions and workpiece geometry are more restricted
Solution Approach 1:
Different areas of the rolling tool are given different geometries optimized for their specific functions: the inlet area has a gradual, extended profile for force distribution and reduced wear, while the calibration and relief areas have geometries optimized for profile precision and workpiece release. This local differentiation allows the extended inlet area to reduce wear without compromising adaptability to various workpiece geometries.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling process uses dynamic control of the axial feed rate and radial positioning to adapt the extended inlet area to different workpiece geometries. The CNC control system adjusts feeding parameters in real-time, allowing the same extended-tool design to accommodate varying workpiece lengths and profiles while maintaining reduced wear conditions.
3Productivity
If the feed force is concentrated over a short area, then the rolling process is more efficient, but the wear on the rolling disks is high and service life is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The feed force is distributed over a longer axial dimension rather than a shorter radial dimension. The extended inlet area spreads the feeding action along the axial direction, maintaining high productivity through continuous rolling while reducing wear intensity by distributing forces over a larger contact area, thereby extending service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact length parameter between the rolling tool and workpiece is increased by extending the inlet area. This parameter change distributes the feed force over a longer contact length, reducing the force concentration and wear rate while maintaining the overall rolling efficiency through optimized feed rate and pressure distribution along the extended contact zone.
4Ease of manufacture
If the main disk width is limited, then the tool can be used for workpieces with specific profile lengths, but the adaptability to different workpiece geometries is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The rolling tool is segmented into multiple functional areas (inlet, calibration, relief) that can be manufactured as integrated zones. The extended inlet area is designed as a gradual transition zone that can be manufactured using standard machining processes, while the calibration and relief areas handle the profile formation and release functions, allowing the tool to accommodate various profile lengths without compromising manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
The rolling tool with extended inlet area is designed to perform multiple functions: force distribution in the inlet area, profile calibration in the calibration area, and workpiece release in the relief area. This multi-functional design allows a single tool geometry to handle a broader range of workpiece profile lengths and types, increasing versatility while maintaining ease of manufacture through standardized tool construction.
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 solution extends the service life of rolling machines by reducing wear and decouples workpiece geometry from process requirements, enabling the production of long profiles and hollow-wave-shaped workpieces with reduced pressure and increased flexibility in profile length and geometry.
Implementation Method 1
a rolling machine for rolling a longitudinal profile, in particular a spline, on a shaft-shaped or hollow-shaft-shaped workpiece
Implementation Method 2
distributes feed force over a wider area, and a method involving plunge rolling, feed rolling, and chamfering
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a rolling machine for rolling a longitudinal profile, in particular a splined shaft, onto a shaft- or hollow-shaft-shaped workpiece (5). The invention further relates to a reverse feed rolling process, a system, and a shaft- or hollow-shaft-shaped workpiece (5) with a shaft shoulder (9).