Rolling machines for rings and steel wheels

Ring blanks are crucial to your products. The better the starting product matches the final ring shape, the more cost-efficient your downstream processes are. This in turn means higher productivity. That’s how you benefit from our reliable, future-proof ring blank presses with press forces of up to 100 MN.

The manufacturing of forged ring blanks involves upsetting, pre-piercing, and piercing. There is also an extra step for profiled blanks in the form of profiling. Blanks for sleeve-type rings are forged in a pot die. So, whatever the application and the power range you want – we supply the right ring blank press for you.

Our RAW ring rolling machines produce rings by enlarging the diameter of ring blanks. The process works like this: first, the blanks are heated to forging temperature. Then, our radial ring rolling machines reduce their wall thickness using a main roll and a mandrel. Alternatively, radial-axial ring rolling involves two axial rolls that simultaneously decrease the height of the blanks.

Application of the products extends from antifriction bearings in all forms, to the aerospace industry, through to crawler-mounted and rail-bound vehicles. The highest precision levels are required when it comes to gearbox and machine construction, and the maximum load-bearing capacity is a must for tank and vessel construction. Rings are likewise indispensable in power plants, in the oil and gas industry, and in the chemicals industry.

What’s best about our new electrohydraulic drive solution is that it saves you serious money. That’s because it consumes between 25 and 50 % less energy than conventional ring rolling machines. Instead of a large central hydraulic system, several small, self-contained electrohydraulic drives provide the necessary energy – wherever and whenever you need it.

Benefits:

• Low investment costs
• Reduced energy consumption (up to -50 %)
• Lower operating costs (e.g. utility costs: -15 %)
• Lower noise emissions (-15 %)
• Compact dimensions
• Automatic control and software included
• Short delivery times and fast commissioning

SMS group designs and supplies ring expanders suitable for the ring rolling machines. The core components are a hydraulically movable expanding cone and expanding jaws. This is how you achieve excellent plastic deformation of rings. It’s an extra advantage that the control system automatically accounts for the spring-back and compensates for it during the next expanding stroke.

Benefits:

• Integrated turning device for greater precision
• Single-stroke calibration for automated lines
• EXPANTRONIC software for fully automated expanding sequence
• Lower production costs due to near-net-shape execution

The multi-mandrel radial ring rolling machine type MERW is designated for ring diameters of between 100 mm and 500 mm. The MERW small-ring rolling machine is designed for high-volume production in an automated plant. We customize your machine, so you always roll exactly the profiled and rectangular rings you require. It’s the only proven way to ensure you get both top precision and low costs.

Benefits:

• Purely mechanical drive for maximum precision
• High productivity with turret head for simultaneous loading and unloading
• Low material losses due to small mandrel diameter with guided support
• Rapid tool changes for longer productive times
• Easy operation and maintenance for shorter non-productive times

Axial closed-die rolling is ideal for many applications. You can use it to roll virtually all rotationally symmetrical workpieces from any forgeable material. Included here are not only axle drive wheels but also aluminum wheels. These wheels come with excellent properties that make them predestined for racing cars.

Benefits:

• Up to 30 % material savings compared with the traditional close-die forging process
• Lower heating and machining costs
• Up to 20 % lower force compared with conventional closed-die forging
• Wide variety of applications such as axle drive wheels, bevel gears, flanges, roller bearing rings, synchronizer rings, engine parts, aluminum wheels, turbine discs

SMS group offers integrated wheel rolling lines for capacity requirements in the range of 100,000–500,000 wheels per year, in which all the line components are perfectly coordinated with one another. Wheel rolling machines produce solid wheels and wheel disks. Typical applications are wheels for rail-bound vehicles such as locomotives, carriages, and subway trains. To ensure high precision and smooth running, our machines feature two web rolls that simultaneously roll the wheel web and the inside of the tread.

SMS group provides the wheel rolling lines with specialized presses – for the manufacturing of the necessary wheel blanks as well as dishing and piercing of the wheels after rolling – depending on the production capacity.