Lightweight design by radial forged gear box components

The incremental radial forging technology offers a wide range of applications. This is based on the large independence of the workpiece surface from the tool shape. The inner and outer shape of the workpiece can be produced simultaneously which leads to lower production times and costs. Using mandrels, also complex inner shapes can be produced without an additional machining operation. The forgings can either be done cold, warm or hot. Using the radial forging technology almost all metals and metal alloys can be processed. Forging at cold or even warm temperatures offers the advantages of an ideal fiber structure which leads to a higher fatigue strength of the product. So a reduction of the weight of shafts or even a decrease of the whole dimension of a gear box is possible due to the better mechanical properties. The paper shows the production of different shafts used in modern gear boxes using the radial forging technology. Furthermore, the contribution of hollow shafts to the lightweight concept is shown.