Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353

Effects of roller path and geometry on the flow forming of

solid cylindrical components
C.C. Wong a , J. Lin b , T.A. Dean b,
a Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 71 Nanyang Drive, Singapore 638075, Singapore
b Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, The University of Birmingham,

Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK

Abstract

Flow forming is used mainly to produce thin walled high precision tubular components. Due to the flexibility and low tool load requirement,
the process is capable of being extended to the manufacture of shapes from bulk raw material, such as solid bar ingot, cast and forged preforms.
In the work reported in this paper, a simple flow forming facility was established to enable the effects of roller path and geometry, on the flow
of metal, to be examined. An FE model has been developed to simulate the process, based on experimental conditions. The results show that,
for a cylindrical roller moving axially along a work-piece, metal moves predominantly in a radial direction, forming a flange. When a roller
with a rounded contact region, nosed, is used, the metal flow is predominantly axial.
Radial roller movement results in the formation of a cup or a boss on the end of the work-piece. The dimensions of the feature depend
on the roller geometry, feed rate and amount of deformation.
The results illustrate the ability of flow forming to be used for production of shapes of thin section, which would be difficult and expensive
to be made by press forming.
2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Flow forming; Incremental forming; Roller tool

1. Introduction attractive, as a high yield route to producing thin sectioned

In recent years, there has been an increasing demand from
original equipment manufacturers, for components of higher
added value, especially in the transportation industries.
The trend for all forms of vehicles is for reduced weight
and in part, this can be achieved by new structural design.
However, as manufacturers strive to reduce weight and cost,
many new components, because of their shape complexity
and the consequent complicated tool designs and high
load requirements to make them, are taxing current press
forming technologies, beyond their capabilities. Machining
technology has been advancing at a significant pace, but
extensive machining in component manufacture is a wasteful
activity. As an alternative to press forming, flow forming is
ventional flow forming process, to investigate: power require-
Corresponding author. Fax: +44 121 414 3958.
E-mail addresses: ccwong@SIMTech.a-star.edu.sg (C.C. Wong),
J.Lin@bham.ac.uk (J. Lin), t.a.dean@bham.ac.uk (T.A. Dean).
components.
In the last two decades or so, flow forming has been
maturing as a metal forming process for the production
of engineering components in small and medium batch
quantities. Conventionally, it is a process whereby a tubular
work-piece is held on a mandrel and lengthened, through
thickness reduction, by axially moving rollers. Thin walled,
high precision, tubular components are traditional flow
formed products. As the process is incremental and only a
small volume of metal is deformed at any one time, the power
and force requirements are very much reduced, compared
with press forming. Flow forming machines are relatively
small and the tools are of simple shape, thus capital costs
are low, compared with bulk forming.
There have been a number of investigations into the con-
ments, forces and the effects of roller geometry and other
process variables. Analyses have been based on; the energy

0924-0136/$ see front matter 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2005.05.039
 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353 345

method [1], slip line fields [2], upper bounds [3] and out-
standing experimental work was undertaken by Gur and
Tirosh [4]. They discovered that, for flow forming thin walled
tubes, if the length of roller/work-piece contact circumferen-
tially is greater than that axially, then the major flow will be
axial, rather than circumferential and a sound product will be
formed. If the alternative is true, a bulge will form ahead of
the roller, resulting in a defect.
In recent years, a technique of combined spinning and
flow forming has been developed to produce parts with com-
plicated shape. One product type, which is now made in large
quantities, is the aluminium automotive wheel [5]. A review
of flow forming and spinning technology and its applications
is given in [6].
Flow forming technology is applicable to a wide range of
raw material types and a greater range of shapes than has so
far been attempted. For instance, there seems to be a use-
ful opportunity to flow form cast or forged shapes, to utilise
the best features of two different processes. Hence, the aim
of this work is to examine a basic aspect of the process by
studying the effect of roller shape and roller path on metal
flow, when solid bulk work-pieces, instead of sheet or tube are
used.
2. Experimentation
2.1. Flow forming equipment
Flow forming experiments were undertaken utilising
an NC lathe. Only a single roller tool was used in each
experiment, which simplified the set-up and enabled metal
movement in the deformation zone, to be analysed more
clearly.
A roller tool holder, with attached strain gauges, was
designed to fit into the lathe tool post and data was logged
using a computerised system. Fig. 1 shows the experimental
set-up.
Two different roller shapes were used, as shown in Fig. 2.
The flat roller had a 90 approach angle along the work-
piece axis and a contact width of 8.5 mm. The nosed roller
had a 30 approach angle and a radius of 4 mm in the work-
piece contact region.
2.2. Work-piece
To reduce the loading of machine and tools, lead was
used. Work-pieces were cast into cylindrical blocks and were

Fig. 1. Experimental set-up.

Fig. 2. Roller profiles: (a) nosed roller (b) flat roller.

346 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353
Fig. 3. Axial roller path.
machined to required dimensions, just before being flow
formed, after they had been mounted in the chuck of the
NC lathe. This ensured they were concentric and had square
ends. The work-piece diameter was either 48 or 65 mm.
2.3. Roller path
Two roller paths; axial and radial, were used. The axial
path was similar to that used for flow forming tubes. It is
outlined in Fig. 3. The steps were as follows:
1. The roller was positioned at the free end of the work-piece,
in a position to deliver a preset reduction, r.
2. On the work-piece being set in rotation, the roller was
moved axially towards the chuck for a specified distance,
l.
3. The tool was withdrawn from the work-piece and moved
to the finishing position.
The movements of the radial roller path, shown in Fig. 4,
were as follows:
1. The roller was positioned at the free end of the work-piece,
to deliver a preset reduction, r.
Fig. 4. Radial roller path.
2. The roller was moved radially towards the centre of the
work-piece for a specified distance, l.
3. The roller was withdrawn to the finishing position.
2.4. Forming conditions
The rotation of the work-piece was fixed at 250 rpm. Dif-
ferent tool feed rates and reduction were used.
Results of compression tests on the lead used for the work-
pieces, showed it to be strain rate sensitive, as illustrated in
Fig. 5.
Clean dry work-piece and roller were used and ring tests
for this condition indicated a value of friction coefficient is
about 0.12.
3. FE simulation
Flow forming is difficult to model and simulate using
finite element procedures because of its incremental nature,
involving both work-piece and tool rotation [6]. Tool/work-
piece contact conditions change continuously and fine mesh
discretisation is required to obtain continuity of contact, as
nodal forces are transferred from one element to the next.
 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353 347

Accumulation of calculation errors, during a number of

work-piece rotations, tends to result in a significant work-
piece volume change. Useful simulation can be achieved
only in 3D and considerable computation time is necessary.
Normally static implicit FE code is used to analyse metal
forming processes, but for rotational conditions, previous
work has shown that convergence is not guaranteed, even with
large computational times, due to the highly non-linear nature
of the process [610]. As a result in recent years explicit codes
have become popular, because of their numerical robustness
and computational efficiency [11,12].

3.1. Formulation

Simulation of only the axial roller path was undertaken in

this work. The model and initial meshes are shown in Fig. 6.
The work-piece was considered elasticperfectly plastic and
the roller rigid. The work-piece was fixed and the roller was
chosen to rotate around the axis of the work-piece (6 direc-
tion in Fig. 6), at the same rotational speed as that of the
work-piece in the experiment. Simultaneously, the roller was
set to move in the axial direction (3 direction in Fig. 6). Thus,
the resultant motion of the roller was a spiral. Keeping the
work-piece stationary, controls its volume and reduces com-
Fig. 5. Stressstrain relations for lead work-piece material.
putational time. The work-piece was constrained by fixing the
length clamped in the chuck, so that it could not move radially
or axially (1, 2 and 3 directions in Fig. 6). To account for the
free spinning of the roller, a frictionless condition was defined

Fig. 6. Meshed model for FE simulation and analysis.

348 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353

at the contact interface, since the effect of work-piece/roller
friction on metal flow, was assumed to be small.
The work-piece was meshed with 20416, 8 node, 3D solid
elements which resulted in 22389 nodes. The deforming
region was given a higher mesh density than the rest of the
work-piece. ABAQUS explicit code was used to simulate the
process.
4. Results and discussion
4.1. Deformed prole, axial roller path
Experimentally determined and predicted deformed
shapes, obtained using the flat roller, are shown in
Figs. 7 and 8. During the initial forming stage, the occur-
rence of a peripheral crown and central crater, at the free
end of the work-piece, in both real and simulated shapes,
indicates that some metal flowed backwards, in a direction
opposite to that of the roller. Axial displacement vectors,
shown in Fig. 8(a), point in a direction opposite to that
of the roller movement, to confirm this point. A flange
was formed in front of the roller, as metal was displaced
predominantly in a radial direction. The flange increased in
diameter with roller movement and splitting was initiated
when the roller had moved 20 mm, as shown in Fig. 7(b).
Since no failure criterion was incorporated, splitting was
not predictable using the FE simulation. Another difference
arising between experimental and predicted shape, is that

Fig. 7. Deformed shape produced by flat roller: (a) displacement 10 mm, (b) displacement 20 mm and (c) displacement 30 mm.

Fig. 8. Deformed shapes predicted by FE Simulation: (a) displacement 5 mm and (b) displacement 10 mm.
 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353 349

Fig. 9. Deformed profiles using the flat roller.

simulation suggested that a uniform reduction would be
achieved at a roller movement of about 4 mm, however, due to
considerable elasticity in the tool holder, uniform reduction
was not achieved until a tool movement of 14 mm had been
attained.
The deformed profile, shown in Fig. 9, illustrates the non-
uniformity of reduction and the formation of a flange by a
wave of metal pushed forward by the roller. Increasing flange
diameter caused it to bend and split, probably due to high
tensile hoop stresses. The flange thickness increased with
tool movement, so that the flange was thinner at its periphery
than at its root. The varying thickness was predicted well by
FE, as shown in Fig. 8. The nominal reduction, set by the
interference of work-piece and roller tool, was not achieved
in practice. This was due to deflection caused by radial force
on the tool. The profile of the formed work-piece shows the
force to have increased as the tool moved away from the free
end.
Profiles obtained using the nosed roller are shown in
Fig. 10. As for the flat roller, metal at the periphery of the free
end, moved backwards forming a concavity. The approach
angle of the roller restrained metal from moving axially,
as it did with the flat roller and the metal formed a bulge
ahead of the tool. All these features were captured by the
FE simulation. Fig. 11 shows the profile development using
the nosed roller, up to and beyond the stage where metal
lost contact with the roller as it emerged from the angled
nose.

Fig. 10. Deformed shapes, axial path, nosed roller: (a) experiment and (b) FE prediction.
350 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353
Fig. 11. Profile of shapes formed by nosed roller at different axial displacements.
For a given nominal reduction a higher actual reduction
was achieved with the flat roller than with the nosed one,
indicating that the latter tool experienced higher radial
force.
Fig. 12. Shape formed by radial roller path.
4.2. Deformed prole, radial roller path
Roller movement caused a reduction in diameter at the
end of the work-piece and formation of a cup shape. Fig. 12
is a photograph of a formed shape and the profile is plot-
ted in Fig. 13. Similar shapes were produced using either
a flat or nosed roller and cup height increased with radial
reduction. Variation of cup height with reduction, for differ-
ent feed rates and a diameter reduction of 20 mm, is shown
in Figs. 14 and 15. For the same feed rate and reduction, the
flat roller produced a greater cup height than did the nosed
roller. This height difference is accounted for largely by the
extra volume of metal under the nose, which detracts from
that, which for the flat roller, is moved into the cup.
In some cases, wrinkling of the top edge of a cup occurred,
as shown in Fig. 16. Examination of the conditions in which
wrinkling arose led to Figs. 17 and 18. For a given nominal
reduction and tool feed rate, there exists a minimum cup wall
Fig. 13. Deformed shape profile, radial roller path.
 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353 351

Fig. 17. Wall thickness/wrinkling occurrence, flat roller.

Fig. 14. Variation in cup height with reduction for different feed rates, flat
roller.

Fig. 18. Wall thickness/wrinkling occurrence, nosed roller.

thickness, below which wrinkling will arise. A band of uncer-

tainty is shown hatched, in the figures. The higher the feed
rate, the greater is the minimum thickness produced and the
least likelihood for wrinkling to occur. The cup formed with
Fig. 15. Variation in cup height with reduction, for different feed
ratesnosed roller.
the flat roller had a greater wall thickness, than that formed by
the nosed roller, which reduced the tendency for wrinkling.

Fig. 16. Wrinkled cups formed at a reduction of 3 mm and 0.03 mm/rev feed rate.
352 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353
Fig. 19. Feed rateaxial force relations, flat roller.
Fig. 20. Feed rateradial force relations, flat roller.
In general, it may be said that, to reduce the tendency for
wrinkling, a thick rim is required on a formed cup and this is
achieved by a large initial flow of metal into the cup, using a
high feed rate or large reduction.
4.3. Forming forces, axial roller path
Axial and radial tool forces are plotted against real radial
reduction in Figs. 1922. For a given radial reduction, all
forces increase with feed rate, because the rate of deformation
work increases and work-piece flow stress is rate sensitive.
Fig. 21. Feed rateaxial force relations, nosed roller.
Fig. 22. Feed rateradial force relations, nosed roller.
Against radial reduction, the axial force continues to increase
at a greater rate than does the radial force, although, at the
largest reductions achieved, axial forces were about only
half the radial ones. No great difference in axial force arose,
between flat and nosed roller, but the radial force tended to
be slightly higher for the nosed roller than for the flat one.
Probably this is due to the greater area of roller/work-piece
contact, in the deformation regions, for the nosed roller, due
to its 30 approach angle.
The FE results, for a simulated 2 mm reduction and
0.24 mm/rev feed rate, are closer to the values measured for
the nosed roller than to those measured for the flat roller.
About a 20% difference exists in the predicted/experimental
comparison for the latter tool. Currently, the reason for this is
not known, but it could be due to either; the fact that bending
and splitting of the flange formed by the flat roller, relieved
the stress state in the work-piece, and this was not allowed
for in the FE model or the use of zero friction in the FE
simulation.
4.4. Forming forces, radial roller path
Forces for flat and nosed rollers are compared in
Figs. 23 and 24, for a reduction of 4 mm and a feed rate of
0.24 mm/rev. The axial force was higher and the radial force
lower, for the flat roller, compared with the nosed one. All
Fig. 23. Axial force for a reduction of 4 mm, flat and nosed roller.
 C.C. Wong et al. / Journal of Materials Processing Technology 167 (2005) 344353
Fig. 24. Radial force for a reduction of 4 mm, flat and nosed roller.
forces increase with displacement, up to a radial reduction
of 10 mm. The radial force for the flat roller seems to have
reached a near constant value, which indicates perhaps that a
steady-state situation is being approached.
5. Conclusions
The work described in this paper consists of flow forming
of solid cylindrical billets, using two shapes of roller tool and
two different tool paths. The following conclusions may be
drawn from the outcomes:
A flat faced roller moving axially, produces a radial flange
of increasing diameter.
A roller with a non-orthogonal approach face (nosed),
moving axially, moved metal largely axially, as a bulge,
ahead of it.
Axial movement of either roller caused metal at the free
end of the work-piece, to move in the direction opposite
that of the tool, to form a shallow crater.
Radial tool movement, reduced work-piece diameter and
formed a thin walled cup shape on the free face of the
work-piece.
Both flange and cup features were prone to instability, if
certain geometries were reached.
353
Both tool feed rate and reduction influenced the geometry
of the formed part.
FE modelling and simulation was used with success, to
predict formed shapes.
The accuracy of forces predicted, using FE, varied, but
given the lack of a failure/instability criterion in the soft-
ware and the neglect of roller/work-piece friction, the use
of FE can be said to be a useful load estimating tool.
The potential of flow forming solid billet to make shapes
difficult to be formed by presses, has been demonstrated.
References
[1] M. Hayama, H. Kudo, Analysis of diametrical growth and work-
ing forces in tube spinning, Bull. Jpn. Soc. Mech. Eng. 22 (1979)
776784.
[2] T. Wang, Z.R. Wang, Q. Wang, Y. Zhao, S. Wang, The slip line fields
of thickness reduction spinning and the engineering calculation of
the spinning forces, in: Proceedings of 4th International Conference
on Rotary Forming, 1989, pp. 8993.
[3] J.W. Park, Y.H. Kim, W.B. Bae, Analysis of tube spinning processes
by the upper bound stream function method, J. Mats. Proc. Tech. 66
(1997) 195203.
[4] M. Gur, J. Tirosh, Plastic flow instability under compressive loading
during shear spinning process, Trans. ASME J. Eng. Ind. 104 (1982)
1722.
[5] D. Polit, Metal spinning in the automotive industry, Sheet Met. Ind.
72 (4) (1995) 3132.
[6] C.C. Wong, T.A. Dean, J. Lin, A review of spinning, shear forming
and flow forming processes, J. Mats. Proc. Tech. 153154 (2004)
6066.
[7] E. Quigley, J. Monagham, The finite element modelling of conven-
tional spinning using multi-domain models, J. Mats. Proc. Tech. 124
(3) (2002) 360365.
[8] K. Davey, M.J. Ward, A practical method for finite element ring
rolling simulation using the ALE flow formulation, Int. J. Mech.
Sci. 44 (1) (2002) 165190.
[9] S. Hauk, V.H. Vazquez, T. Altan, Finite element simulation of the
flow splitting process, J. Mats. Proc. Tech. 98 (1) (2000) 7080.
[10] E. Quigley, J. Monaghan, Enhanced finite element models of metal
spinning, J. Mats. Proc. Tech. 121 (1) (2002) 4349.
[11] C. Xie, X. Dong, S. Li, S. Huang, Rigid-viscoplastic dynamic explicit
FEA of the ring rolling process, Int. J. Mach. Tool Man. 40 (1)
(2000) 8193.
[12] K. Sawamiphakdi, P.M. Pauskar, D.Q. Jin, G.D. Lahoti, Ring rolling
process modelling using explicit finite element analysis, in: Proceed-
ings of 7th ICTP, vol. 1, 2002, pp. 2831.