Roll bending machine

Abstract

Upon the request of the mechanical lab at the University of Balamand, the designing and construction phases of the plate rolling machine was to be achieved. This project was advised by Dr. Jihad Rishmany, moderated by Dr. Elie Honein, Dr. Habib Rai and Mr. Fadi Ghorayeb, who are, at the same time, the clients or in other terms, the targeted people for whom this machine is to be presented. A theoretical overview and some readings about machining and plate rolling were needed in order to have more insight into this domain. Moreover, a look on what is available in markets was important so to get an idea of the output product and to be able to design a competitive machine with respect to the market (in terms of price and functionality). Satisfying the customers requirements was the first challenge, and therefore, specific criteria were given, mainly the aluminum plates dimensions, and the desired output diameter range of the rolled elements. Delicate analytical and numerical calculations were required in order to find the proper dimensions of the different parts of the machine (diameters of drums, the distance between them, etc.) to ensure both safety and desired output. Knowing the final objective of this design, and subject to the limitations represented by the clients requirements, a final design proposition based on a FEA Elasto-plastic solution giving a minimal roll radius of 10mm was adopted. Deeper calculations were required to select the most adequate operation type based on the maximum torque required. A manual operation was deemed suitable and efficient. Moreover, reaching a competitive cost of this machine was another issue. After completing the design phase, the machine was constructed locally at the mechanical lab of the university except for parts that required sophisticated machining which were conducted in more advanced workshops. Due to design constraints, the minimum rolled radius was equal to 41.5mm (175% greater than the customers specification). The Customers, after being notified with the new findings, expressed their flexibility concerning the requirements and gave their approval of the new machine specifications. Next, an analysis was conducted in an attempt to justify the discrepancy in values between the theoretical and practical results. A list of probable causes and recommendations were presented in order to improve the accuracy of the theoretical analysis and accordingly reduce the difference between the two results.