Influence of tribological conditions on cold forging of gears

Gears are integral and vital machine elements in the field of drive and transmission technology. With regard to economic and ecological aspects, cold forging represents a promising approach compared to conventional cutting processes for producing highly-loadable gears. A possible extrusion process for manufacturing helical gears is the so-called “Samanta”-process. In comparison to conventional extrusion processes, an additional ejector system is avoidable. Thus, in particular for helical gears, a negative impact on the gear quality by the ejector operation is prevented. Furthermore, the process chain during the component production cycle is shortened which leads to a more efficient production. The achievable gear accuracy as well as insufficient tool life are major challenges while establishing the “Samanta”-process in industry. To enable an industrial application, basic process understanding as well as knowledge about the influences on the process results is required. For influencing component and process properties within cold forging, approaches from the tribological system can be generally used. The aim of this study is to analyze the influence of the friction conditions on selected component and process properties within cold forging of gears by the “Samanta”-process. For adjusting the occurring friction, various lubrication systems were applied, which have been qualified using a double cup extrusion test (DCE-test). The results reveal that the lubrication system determines the friction conditions during forming. Within cold forging of helical gears by the “Samanta”-process, the friction influences the resulting strain hardening of the components and the required maximum forming force as well as the energy amount.