Automated design system of rolls for reshaping of circular pipes into channel-type pipes

摘要

The reshaping of circular pipes into pipes with various cross-sections is an effective and useful manufacturing process for adding value and improving productivity in the pipe/tube industry. Although the reshaping technology has rather long history, the design of roll profiles and pass schedules is still relying on experience-based knowledge. This is due to the complicated deformation behavior of pipes during reshaping. Thus, systematic approaches to the reshaping technology and theoretical studies on the design of rolls and pass Schedules are strongly required. In this research, a numerical simulation method called the finite difference method (FDM) was extensively developed in order to analyze two-dimensional elasto plastic deformations of pipes' cross-sections during various reshaping processes. In this work, the numerical analyses of forward and backward deformations of pipes are performed using the modified FDM. These analyses enable the determination of roll profiles, which can be used for reshaping circular pipes into the desired products. The developed roll design method is applied to the fabrication of channel-type pipes. As a result, the ideal roll profiles were obtained.