Production of high-precision, thin-walled components with complex geometry from high-strength and ultrahigh-strength steel materials using a hybrid combination process of friction spinning and turning

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dirk Biermann; Professor Dr.-Ing. Werner Homberg
• Subject Area: Primary Shaping and Reshaping Technology, Additive Manufacturing ; Metal-Cutting and Abrasive Manufacturing Engineering
• Term: since 2025
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 556676256

Energy and resource efficiency are becoming more important in the industrial production of components. In particular, the energy-intensive production of complex molded parts made of high-strength steels poses a challenge in this context. The friction spinning process offers great potential for energy savings in the production of such components, while at the same time providing high flexibility in shaping. The fact that frictional heat is induced into the component due to the process itself allows a high forming capacity to be exploited with low force and energy consumption. However, since the required form and dimension tolerances as well as surface qualities cannot generally be maintained with the aid of friction spinning, the components are frequently subjected to subsequent machining. In the machining of high-strength steel materials, the challenge is to adapt the processes and tools to the high mechanical loads and the resulting high tool wear and reduced component quality. In this project, friction-spinning is to be combined with a turning process to form a hybrid process with simultaneous tool engagement. The aim is to utilize the main advantages of both processes: By preheating the material with the aid of friction spinning, the machining process is to run under significantly lower mechanical stress, which should improve the result of the parallel processing of the semi-finished product produced by forming. In addition, the hybrid process combination is intended to expand the possibilities of forming by machining "tear-afflicted" forming areas parallel to the forming process. For this purpose, various basic investigations are planned during the course of the project, which will ultimately make it possible to implement the hybrid process on a machine tool for metal-cutting and to manufacture a complex demonstrator component. The work program envisages that basic investigations will first be carried out into the local heating of components made of 22MnBr5 with the aid of friction spinning, while in parallel the chip formation behavior of this material, which has so far been unexplored in terms of machining, is to be characterized. In the following, it is planned to produce a simple flange geometry by friction spinning and machining under heating. In two further work packages, the insitu quenching and the forming of secondary mold elements are to be investigated. In a final work package of this first funding phase, a complex demonstrator component will be produced by a hybrid process combination, on which the various research aspects from the previous work packages will be combined.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants