A Study of the Effects of Reversal Cycles in the Gear Rolling Process by Using Finite Element Simulations

The manufacturing of machine components with sustainable and innovative methods is an interesting topic for research. Gears are some components which have complexity in both design and production technology. Therefore applying innovative methods on gear manufacturing can be of interest to industry. One of the most promising production methods for gear wheels is "Gear Rolling". The gear wheel is formed during a certain rolling process from a cylindrical blank into the final designed shape. The process of gear rolling with rotational gears is progressing by running several rolling cycles with one, or two dies in contact with a work-piece. A specified rotational speed and radial feed speed is applied to the dies in order to form the required geometry on the blank. In this paper, the authors have simulated the process with the finite element code, DEFORM 3D. Especially the effects of reversal cycles on final gear wheel geometry have been evaluated from the simulations. Different settings for the rotation direction of the dies have been used and the effects are evaluated with specific quality criteria.