Numerical investigation on tooth filling of clutch drum forming processes

The formation of the gear drum clutch involves bulk and sheet forming, and filling the tooth is a key difficulty during the forming process. In this study, four tooth extrusion processes with various extrusion ratios and preform shape were developed, and they were simulated using AFDEX software for examining how the clutch drum influenced tooth forming. Various tooth-filling results were obtained by controlling the extrusion ratio and die cavity in each process. A comparison of the deformation, material flow, and mean stress state among the processes revealed that the stress state was the main determinant of the local flowing material, and it was used to improve the degree of tooth filling. The optimal tooth-filling result was obtained using a two-step extrusion process with an appropriate extrusion ratio and a preform shape.