Spring 2019

ISyE 415

Introduction to Manufacturing
Systems Design and Analysis

Lecture 4: Rolling and Forging

n Rolling a Pasta dough!

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 Metal Forming

Metal deformation: recall the stress-strain curve, how to change the shape of
the metal?

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Metal Forming

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 Metal Forming
n Bulk deformation
n Significant deformations and massive shape changes, and the surface area-to-volume
ratio of the starting metal work is relatively small (i.e., bulk)

Rolling Forging Extrusion Drawing

n Sheet metalworking
n The surface area-to-volume ratio of the starting metal work is high (i.e., sheet)
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 Learning Goals
n Understand metal behaviors under rolling and forging processes
n Differentiate hot rolling and cold rolling
n Know pros and cons of different forging processes

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 Rolling of Metals

Rolling: Thickness of a slab or plate is reduced by two opposing cylindrical

tools called rolls. The rolls rotate to draw the work into the gap between them
and squeeze it.

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 Rolling of Metals
n Rolling of gold and silver manually dated from 14th century.
n 1480 Leonardo da Vinci designed the first rolling mills, but doubtful
whether it was ever built.
n 1600: cold rolling of lead and tin
n 1700: hot rolling of iron in Europe (Belgium, England, Germany, France,
Sweden)
n 1783: modern rolling practice in England
n 1820: first mill for rolling railway rails in England
n 1849: first I-beams were rolled in France
n Rolling process requires a very large power source. Water wheels were
used till the 18th century. Steam engines increased the capacity until 1900
when electric motors replaced steam.
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Typical Rolling Product

Rails, beams Sheet, coils

Pipes, tubes Rings

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 Rolling of Metals
n Rolling after casting
n Bloom: 6in x 6in square, for structure shapes, rails
n Slab: 10in wide, 1.5in thick rectangle, for plates, sheets, stripes
n Billet: from 1.5in or more square, for bars or rods

Casting Rolling

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 Rolling Temperature
n Based on working temperature:
n Cold rolling: (room temperature or slightly above)
n Greater accuracy
n Better surface finish
n Higher strength and hardness
n Opportunities for desirable directional properties
n No furnace and fuel cost
n Hot rolling: (0.5~0.75 melting point)
n Significantly change the shape
n Low force and power required
n Better for brittle metals
n Isotropic strength properties

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 Cold Rolling
n Strain hardening
n After deformation, material becomes
stronger (higher yield strength)
n Less ductile
n Higher and higher forces are
needed as shape changes

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 Hot Rolling
n In high temperature
n Strength and strain
hardening both reduced
n Ductility increased

Magnesium Alloys

Stainless Steel

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 Example
n http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuuP8L-WppI
n Hot Rolling Mill

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 Work Piece Geometry
• Based on work piece geometry
• Flat rolling - used to reduce thickness of a rectangular
cross section
• Shape rolling - square cross section is formed into a
shape such as an I-beam

• Side view of flat rolling,

indicating before and after
thicknesses, work velocities,
angle of contact with rolls,
and other features.

15
Shape Rolling

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 Shape Rolling
• Shape rolling: work is deformed into a contoured cross section
rather than flat (rectangular)
• Through a series of specially designed rolls.
• Accomplished by passing work through rolls that have the reverse of
desired shape
• Products: construction shapes such as I-beams, L-beams, and
U-channels; rails for railroad tracks; round and square bars and rods

Figure shows the steps in the shape rolling of an H-section part.

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 Ring Rolling
• A deformation process in which a thick-walled ring of smaller
diameter is rolled into a thin-walled ring of larger diameter. The
ring is placed between 2 rolls: one is driven, the other idles.
• As thick-walled ring is compressed, deformed metal elongates, causing
diameter of ring to enlarge
• Hot working process for large rings and cold for smaller rings
• Products: ball and roller bearing races, steel tires for railroad wheels,
and rings for pipes, pressure vessels, and rotating machinery

(1) start, and (2) completion of process 18

 Example
n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSbywBfXlHg&list=PL
3AFB507B668AF162&index=8
n Ring Rolling
n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvWmH3Dr52o
n Thread Rolling

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 Thread Rolling
n A cold bulk forming process by rolling them between two dies
to form straight or tapered threads on round rods or wire.
Reciprocating or rotary dies could be used.
n Important process for mass producing bolts and screws
n Performed by cold working in thread rolling machines

(1) Start of cycle, and (2) end of cycle

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 Machined and Rolled Threads
n Advantages of rolled threads
n Machining cuts through the grains of the metal. Rolling of threads imparts improved
strength because of cold working and favorable grain flow.
n Stronger threads
n Compressive residual stresses improve fatigue strength
n Better material utilization. No scrap in the process
n Surface finish is smooth
n Higher production rate
n Limitation in diameter and thread length, specification, material grade, external.

(a) Features of a machined

or rolled thread. Grain
flow in (b) machined and
(c) rolled threads.

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 Rotary Tube Piercing
n Used for making long thick walled seamless tubes and pipes.
n Tensile and compressive stresses are applied to create a cavity.
n Material is pulled through skewed rolls that helps to expand the hole. A
mandrel is used to size the hole.
n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztcEyel47Kg

Cavity formation in a solid, round bar and its utilization in the rotary tube-piercing process
for making seamless pipe and tubing. 22
 Rolling Mills
• Equipment is massive and expensive
• Rolling mill configurations:
• Two-high – two opposing rolls
• Three-high – work passes through rolls in both directions
• Four-high – backing rolls support smaller rolls
• Cluster mill – multiple backing rolls on smaller rolls
• Tandem rolling mill – sequence of two-high mills

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Rolling Mills

(a) Two-high
(b) Three-high
(c) Four-high

(d) Cluster mill

(e) Tandem rolling
mill

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 Exercise 1
n What is strain hardening?
n What are the advantages of hot rolling?
n Which rolling method, hot/cold, should be used for high
dimensional precision?
n Which shape rolling method is used to make long thick walled
seamless tubes and pipes?

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Forging

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 Forging
n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqcJNYp4VtQ
n Forging a knife

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 Forging
n Forging process dated from the earliest written records of man,
about 7000 years ago.
n Ancient Egypt, Greece, Persia, India, China and Japan: make
weapons, jewelry and a variety of implements.
n 1600 BC, in ancient Crete, engraved stone platens were used
as impression dies in hammering of gold and silver.
n 800 BC fabrication of coins by a similar process.
n 200 BC, Rome, more complicated impression dies were used.
n Near the end of 18th century, drop hammer with guided ram
was introduced, which brought forging practice into an
Industrial Age.
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 Forging
n A process in which the work piece is shaped to final geometry
and size by compressive forces applied through various dies and
tooling
n Products: engine crankshafts, connecting rods, gears, aircraft structural
components, jet engine turbine parts, coins, jewelry, tools
n Metal flow and grain structure can be controlled when metal flows in a
forging die
n Forged parts have high strength and toughness

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 Forging
n Cold forging is done at room temperatures while hot forging is
done at elevated temperatures
n Hot forging – advantage: reduction in strength and increase in ductility
of work metal
n Cold forging – advantage: increased strength due to strain hardening,
good surface finish and accuracy
n Cold forging requires higher forces, work piece must have higher
ductility

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 Forging Types
n Open die forging: simplest of forging operations
n A solid work piece is placed between two flat dies, allowing metal to
flow laterally with minimum constraint, and reduced in height by
compressing it
n Used for nails, bolts, to long shafts for ship propellers
n Impression (closed) die forging
n Die contains cavity or impression that is imparted to work part
n Metal flow is constrained so that flash is created
n Flashless forging
n Work part is completely constrained in die
n No excess flash is created
n https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YobXFODkp50
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 Forging Types

(a) Open-die forging, (b) impression-die forging, and (c) flashless forging

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 Open Die Forging
n Open die forging:
n Similar to compression test when work part has cylindrical cross
section and is compressed along its axis
n Deformation operation reduces height and increases diameter of work
n Common names include upsetting or upset forging
n If no friction occurs

(1) Start of process with work piece at its original length and diameter, (2) partial compression,
and (3) final size 33
 Open Die Forging
n With friction
n Friction between work and die surfaces constrains lateral flow of work:
result in Barreling effect
n In hot open-die forging, effect is even more pronounced due to heat
transfer at die surfaces: cools the metal and increases its resistance to
deformation

Actual deformation of a
cylindrical workpart in
open-die forging,
showing pronounced
barreling: (1) start of
process, (2) partial
deformation, and (3)
final shape
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 Impression Die Forging
n Compression of work part by dies with inverse of desired part
shape (usually in hot forging)
n Flash is formed by metal that flows beyond die cavity into small gap
between die plates
n Flash must be later trimmed, but it serves an important function during
compression:
n As flash forms, friction resists continued metal flow into gap, constraining
metal to fill die cavity
n In hot forging, metal flow is further restricted by cooling against die plates

(1) Just prior to initial

contact with raw
workpiece, (2) partial
compression, and (3)
final die closure,
causing flash to form in
gap between die plates
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 Impression Die Forging
n Several forming steps are often required, with separate die
cavities for each step
n Beginning steps redistribute metal for more uniform deformation and
desired metallurgical structure in subsequent steps
n Final steps bring the part to final geometry
n Impression-die forging is often performed manually by skilled
worker under adverse conditions

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 Impression Die Forging
n Advantages compared to machining from solid stock:
n Higher production rates
n Less waste of metal
n Greater strength
n Favorable grain orientation in the metal
n Limitations:
n Not capable of close tolerances
n Machining is often required to achieve accuracies and features needed

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 Flashless Forging
n Compression of work in punch and die tooling whose cavity
does not allow for flash
n Starting work volume must equal die cavity volume within very close
tolerance
n Process control more demanding than impression-die forging
n Best suited to part geometries that are simple and symmetrical
n Often classified as a precision forging process

(1) Just before contact

with workpiece, (2) partial
compression, and (3) final
punch and die closure

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 Impression Die Versus Flashless Forging

Comparison of closed-die forging with flash (left side of each illustration) and precision or flashless
forging (right side) of a round billet. Source After H. Takemasu, V. Vazquez, B. Painter, and T. Altan.

n Precision Forging: Greater precision to reduce finishing operations, costs

n Requires special and more complex dies, precise control of blank’s volume and shape,
accurate positioning of the blank in the die cavity, higher forces to ensure precise
features
n Gears, connecting rods, turbine blades
39
Characteristics of Forging

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 Exercise 2
n What is flashless forging?
n What is the advantage of impressive die forging over the
flashless forging?
n Which forging method should be chosen when making a small
number of products?

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