Study Of Wheel Rim Roll Forming By Numerical Simulation

In traditional ways, engineers usually depend on their experiences to design the wheel rim. It had achieved a lot success in the past, but now it gives new challenges in quality and cost control, for it has many process and contact parameters, which are complicated and not completely mastered by people now. Because of some technical limits, it is very hard to clearly understand the forming and process, only depending on theoretical analysis and experimental study.Now quick development of computer technology and incessant improvement of finite elements technology have taken a revolution into engineering research. Numerical simulation of roll forming can help us not only predicting forming performance, coaching process design, but also deeply evaluating optimizing, controlling forming quality, reducing period of production design and cost.This paper mainly use software ABAQUS to establish roll forming model for wheel rim, and analysis quality sensitive factors, then develop the roll forming technics. The study of how to establish 3D elastic-plastic FEA modeling, including the establishing of material model, the choice of element type, meshing, boundary condition and the guiding roll modeling by the general FEA software ABAQUS. Spring is used in guide roll modeling. These methods are to guarantee the simulation process get steady standard static state solution and the method for wheel rim roll forming simulation is fast and credible. Then successfully complete the whole process of 14 inch wheel rim roll forming simulation, and the results compared with experiment indicate that the established model is credible and efficiency.The thickness reduce most on the corner of rim edge, next is on the corner of bottom groove. Then analysis the effect of material and process parameters on wheel rim quality defect (corner thickness reduction rate). The result indicate that the most sensitive factor is material thickness, then is yield strength, next is friction coefficient, the last one is strain strengthen exponent. The regress equation is founded. Lastly the punch and die was redesigned to solve the problem from factory that the time costs in different working procedure are asymmetry that influence its produce ability. The main task is to lessen the first step roll forming time. The simulation results indicate that the problem can be improved in a way, and the dimension and thickness reduction fulfill the thchnics demands. The study provide feasibility reference for solve this practical problem.