Modeling and finite element analysis of rod and wire steel rolling process

Two thermomechanical coupled elastic-plastic finite element (FE) models were developed for predicting the 12-pass continuous rolling process of GCr15 rod and wire steel. The distances between stands in the proposed models were set according to the actual values, and the billets were shortened in the models to reduce the calculation time. To keep the continuity of simulation, a technique was developed to transfer temperature data between the meshes of different models in terms of nodal parameters by interpolation functions. The different process variables related to the rolling process, such as temperature, total equivalent plastic strain, equivalent plastic strain rate, and contact friction force, were analyzed. Also, the proposed models were applied to analyze the reason for the occurrence of an excessive spread in width. Meanwhile, it was also utilized to assess the influence of the roll diameter change on the simulated results such as temperature and rolling force. The simulated results of temperature are found to agree well with the measured results.