Upper bound analysis for forging of trochoidal gears

The forging of trochoidal gears has been investigated by means of upper bound analysis. A kinematically admissible velocity field for the forging of a trochoidal gear has been proposed. A neutral surface has been used to represent the inward flow of material during the forging operation using a hollow billet with a flat punch. By using the suggested kinematically admissible velocity fields, the power requirements were successfully calculated and compared with experimental results. The experimental set-up was installed in a 200 t hydraulic press for forging. The billets, of Al 2218 aluminum alloy were slightly phosphate-coated. It was found that the theoretical solutions were useful in the prediction of the forging load for the forging of trochoidal gears.