Numerical analysis of a skew rolling process for producing a stepped hollow shaft made of titanium alloy Ti6Al4V

Abstract

The paper describes a rolling process for a hollow Ti6Al4V alloy shaft used in driving systems of light trucks. The shaft is formed by skew rolling using three tapered rolls. The principle of this forming process was discussed stressing its universality due to the potential of applying it for forming various products by one set of rolls. The numerical analysis results (product shape progression in rolling, wall thickness distribution, effective strain, temperature and variations in loads and torques) confirm that the proposed technique can be used for producing hollow long shafts.