Ring rolling (also known as ring expanding, drilling, ring rolled) is a plastic manufacturing process that relies on ring rolling machine (also known as ring mill, hot continuous ring rolling, hole expanding machine) to cause continuous plastic deformation of ring, so as to complete wall thickness reduction, diameter expansion, and cross section contour forming. This technology is applicable to the production of circular mechanical parts of various shapes and sizes, such as rolling bearing rings, gears, flanges, rims, thick wall cylindrical pieces, wind turbine flanges, high neck flanges and other seamless ring forgings.
Ring products are widely used in many industrial production industries such as mechanical equipment, vehicles, trains, ships, petrochemical equipment, airlines, aerospace, nuclear energy, wind turbines, etc. The materials of rings are usually carbon steel, alloy steel, stainless steel, titanium metal, alloy copper, aluminum alloy profile, cobalt alloy, nickel base super alloy, etc.
① The tonnage of equipment is small, and the scope of production and processing is large. The whole process of ring rolling is the sum of continuous small deformation due to partial pressurization. The total contact area between the product workpiece and the die surface is small, so the necessary deformation force is small, and the tonnage of equipment is small.
② The utilization rate of raw materials is high. The cross section of ring rolling is closer to the finished product, and the machining surplus is small.
③ The product quality is good. The metal fibers of rolled rings are continuously distributed along the upper circle, which is consistent with the bearing force and damage of parts in application. In most cases, the internal mechanism of rolled rings is high-density with fine crystals, and the comprehensive physical properties are significantly higher than those of rings produced and processed by other methods.
④ Good working standard and high production efficiency. Ring rolling is similar to negative pressure rolling, basically without impact, vibration, low noise, convenient for practical operation, high level of mechanical automation and automation technology, and greatly reduced labor efficiency of employees.
⑤ Low production cost. Compared with free forging, it has low raw material consumption, low energy consumption, low cost of comprehensive production and manufacturing, and good economic benefits.
⑥ Nowadays the larger ring mill in China is D53K-12000, which can roll 50 tons of rings, and the larger inner hole can achieve 12000 mm task.