Study of the rollers geometry effects in rotary tube piercing and wear analyses of mandrel according to the finite element method

Abstract

The rotary tube piercing (RTP) is the first process of making the seamless tube after producing the desired alloy ingot. There are several approaches to manufacture a seamless tube, but one of the most common types is RTP. This approach covers a wide range of processes that are categorized according to the number and shape of the rollers. On the other hand, each of these types has designed guides in the output and input of the piercing process. In this paper, a new design of the input guide for four types of rollers have been examined and simulated. Thus, four specimens including Diescher and Conical rollers were considered, with the different number of rollers. Results including torque, total force, mandrel wear, temperature distribution, and strain were extracted using FEM simulation. In order to the validation of simulation, the total force and oscillations of applied force within the process have been compared with the experimental results. The results obtained through this simulation, are more in line with the empirical results obtained from previous research. As well as, the FEM simulation confirmed the performance accuracy of the output and input guides of the RTP process. On the other hand, the results indicate that the three-roller Diescher type with 17° feed angle, has the most suitable arrangement for production of seamless tube.