| Due to the complexity and the limitations of the ring rolling process, accurate prediction of the deformation is vital for successful design of ring rolling processes. However, traditional finite element analysis techniques are not practical due to severe computational demand. This research is aimed at improving the efficiency of the finite element analysis of ring rolling processes. Since the deformation in ring rolling is confined to a very small region, the mesh can be customized by employing fine elements only in the deformation zone and coarse elements everywhere. The position of the mesh is maintained by employing an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) mesh motion. Several methods including continuous remeshing, and Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation were studied as potential candidates for maintaining different mesh regions in their respective positions. Limitations of the above methods are presented with emphasis on applicability for ring rolling processes. The ALE mesh motion was achieved with the help of an additional mesh system with Lagrangian formulation. This dissertation presents a detailed discussion of the implementation of this two-mesh system approach. Computational efficiency was significantly improved (in excess of 700%). Deformation results were compared with experimental data and found to be in good agreement. This method can be readily extended to other problems such as strip rolling and extrusion. |
