Fundamental study of surface densification of PM gears by rolling using FE analysis

The complex shape of gears is very attractive to the near-net-shape PM technology. The strength of conventional PM parts is reduced by the residual porosity due to the power law relationship between the density and the mechanical properties. The maximum stresses in gears are found in the tooth root and the flank near or directly at the surface, so that by a local densification of the near surface layer the maximum load carrying capacity of the complete gear can be increased. This surface densification can be achieved by a rolling process. Due to the own elastic-plastic behavior of PM materials and due to the continuous change of the contact conditions during rolling, the process is too complex to be described analytically. To gain a better understanding of the process, the numerical simulation is a capable method. In this paper an FEA model is prepared and verified based on an experimental investigation. Additionally, case studies were carried out in order to analyze the relationship between the process parameters and the densification result.