Development of a Non-isothermal Forging Process for Hollow Power Transmission Shafts

This paper presents a new forging process for hollow power transmission shafts. The key aspect of the process is altering the flow characteristics of the material via differential heating of the tubular stock. The process is conceived in three main stages namely, partially heat the initial tubular stock with induction heating; upset the heated section of the tube to form a solid section; and finally shape the solid section into a flange or a conical head by further upsetting the workpiece. Parametric study was also carried out for various ID/OD tube ratios. With the aid of finite element analysis (FEA), the feasibility of the process was evaluated based on formability, forming loads and dimensional accuracy. The FEA results showed that it is feasible to produce hollow axle shafts, stepped gear shafts, and pinion gear shafts. (C) 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.