Analysis of deformations and stresses in flat rolling of wire

Flat rolling of wire is an industrial process used to manufacture electrical flat wire, medical catheters, springs and piston segments, among other products. This paper presents a 3D numerical analysis of the contact stress distributions prevailing in the roll-wire contact zone, as well as of residual stresses in the resulting flat wire, as a function of the deformation inhomogeneity induced in the material. Three different patterns in the contact pressure are clearly distinguished and discussed. As in slab-rolling process, a generalized parameter H* is proposed to quantify the deformation inhomogeneity in wire rolling. This parameter allows the characterization and prediction of the morphology of the contact and residual stress distributions. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.