1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to a spinning metal processing method and apparatus therefor, and articles manufactured according to the method. More specifically, the invention comprises a two-step tube-necking spinning method in which a series of primary forming rollers used in a first step is followed by a series of secondary or finishing forming rollers used in a second step, the rollers having specially profiled section shapes, and product produced thereby.
2. Description of Related Art
Spinning is a metalworking process by which a disc or tube of metal is rotated at high speed and formed into an axially symmetric part. It typically involves the forming of axisymmetric components over a rotating mandrel using rigid tools or rollers. Tube-necking spinning is one type of spinning method in which a metal tube is processed to form a section of reduced diameter.
SRF (Superconducting Radio Frequency) cavities are the heart of advanced particle accelerator systems. The International Linear Collider (ILC) is one of the highest priorities in High Energy Physics (HEP). Extensive research and development has been completed on the SRF cavities for this purpose. Other uses of SRF cavities in HEP facilities and industrial fields include: material analysis, other nuclear physics applications, military applications such as Free Electron Laser (FEL), medical and industrial isotope generation, and sub-critical power generation devices.
Known fabrication methods for SRF cavities have several limitations, especially for mass production of seamless multi-cell SRF cavities. By reviewing and investigating the manufacturing methods by which seamless multi-cell SRF cavities can be fabricated, it is found that the most feasible process for mass production is tube-necking spinning followed by tube hydroforming starting with a seamless blank tube of an intermediate diameter between cavity iris 1d and equator 1c. In the tube-necking spinning, the tube diameter in the iris area and at the tube end is reduced; then in the following tube hydroforming, the tube diameter in the equator area is expanded to cavity shape. After this, a calibration-hydroforming may be added to further calibrate the cavity shape and dimensions. The development of the tube diameter reduction (tube-necking) at the iris area needs more efforts than expansion (hydroforming) at equator area. Tube-necking spinning remains the main challenge for mass production of seamless multi-cell SRF cavities.
The basic principle of the reduction at the iris and tube end is the same as in conventional tube-necking spinning. The conventional spinning apparatus, as illustrated in
From the view of cost-efficient manufacturing, processing time must be shortened, especially for spinning products like multi-cell SRF cavities in which processing time is very long. In spinning, the processing time is determined by a feeding rate, rotating speed and the total length of the roller path. In order to decrease the processing time, it is necessary to increase feeding rate and rotating speed, and shorten the length of roller path. For a certain material, the rotating speed is limited, and feeding rate is also limited for the given roller shape. Because of the limitation of high rotating dynamics in the spinning, it is impossible to greatly increase the rotating speed. So, the possible and feasible way to shorten processing time is to find an effective way to increase feeding rate and shorten the length of roller path.
The present inventor has found that it is very difficult to reduce the processing time in the conventional spinning processing methods. The conventional tube-necking spinning commonly uses very simple roller shape (such as full radius section shape 3a in
The following is about the prior art related to tube-necking spinning and SRF cavities fabrication methods in which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention. U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,995 to Vincenzo Palmieri et al, titled “Method of Producing Radiofrequency Resonating Cavities of the Weldless Type,” describes a spinning method and apparatus of producing seamless SRF cavities, in which, starting from a disc sheet blank, in the first step spinning the sheet onto a die having the shape of a frustum of a cone; in the second step, the die (also called mandrel) having exactly the internal shape of SRF cavity is used to spin the residual half-cell and the second cut-off tube, with a fast annealing at a temperature of the copper lower than 600° C. The above steps are repeated to obtain multi-cells. Although it is a spinning method of producing SRF cavities in the present invention, it differs in that: (1) the former method uses a disc sheet blank, while the present invention uses seamless tube as a blank; (2) the former method forms a half-cell by half-cell to get the full cell shape, while the present invention directly spins the whole full cell shape; (3) the former method uses complicated mandrels (or dies), especially a collapsible mandrel, and uses fast annealing in a second step, while the present invention does not use a mandrel for spinning the full cell shapes, only uses a very simple mandrel for spinning two ends, and does not need any annealing during spinning; (4) the former method uses conventional simple rollers and does not mention any high-efficiency or high-feeding-rate measures, while the present invention focuses on high efficiency processing and using specially profiled rollers in each step. For a single cell cavity the former method worked, but necking of the multi-cells was less successful. For a long tube it was difficult to achieve the uniform wall thickness at the necking area. With the present invention using a tube as a blank, spinning each cell having almost exactly the same condition to obtain uniform shapes, does not have this problem; Prior work has been directed to the low-cost production of a low volume of SRF cavities, while the present invention focuses on cost-effectiveness for mass production of SRF cavities.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,042,258 B2 to Katsuya Sennyu et al, titled “Method for Producing Superconducting Accelerator Cavity,” describes producing a SRF cavity by a method in which production cost is reduced by reducing the number of welding points. It is basically still a traditional forming and welding method but with lower cost.
WO2007062829A1 (and EP1955404B1) issued on Jun. 7, 2007 to Xenia Singer et al, titled “Method for Production of Hollow Bodies for Resonators”, describes a method to make SRF cavities, but it is still makes half-cells first, not using the seamless method.
WO2009021698A2 issued on Feb. 19, 2009 to Waldemar Singer et al, titled “Process and Device for Producing Radio-Frequency Resonators Which Are Free from Weld Seams,” describes a seamless method and device to make seamless SRF cavities. The process is a swaging preform followed by tube hydroforming In the swaging it uses special swaging devices, in which the main tool contacting the tube is torus-shaped. The torus tool is rotating eccentrically around the blank tube to make the tube deform to necking shapes. It needs a special device that may cause vibration problems.
The main difference between Singer (WO2009021698A2) and the present invention is that Singer uses a swaging process and a special swaging device other than spinning rollers, while the present invention uses a two-step spinning method and conventional spinning equipment, not requiring special equipment. The main differences from conventional spinning is that the present invention uses a two-step method and two sets of specially profiled rollers, rather than the simple step and/or simple roller-shape. The advantage of the present invention is that it may greatly increase feeding rate, shorten roller paths and accurately control spun shapes. The specially profiled rollers in the present invention are still spinning rollers and do not have vibration issues.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,316,142 B2 issued on Jan. 8, 2008 to Paul B. Lancaster, titled “Metal Spin Forming Head”, describes a metal spin forming head including two sets of rollers, with each set having a series of individual metal working rollers therein. It uses a mandrel, while the present invention does not. Its rollers' shapes are still very simple, similar to conventional spinning roller shapes; while the present invention uses specially profiled rollers. It uses two sets of rollers but still uses a one-step method, while the present invention uses a two-step method and each step uses specially profiled rollers. Its two sets of rollers are unable to be used to produce SRF cavities, while the present invention is especially effective for producing SRF cavities.
In his patent, Lancaster listed and compared many other patents which are mostly related to spinning of the catalytic converters. There are also many patents cited that relate to spinning of the catalytic converters, such as U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,010 B1, U.S. Pat. No. 5,937,516, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,376. All those are completely different from the present invention. All those are effective or useful to products like catalytic converters that are only similar to the end shape of SRF cavities and the diameter reduction ratio of the former is much less. They do not have the ability to produce the full cell shapes of multi-cell SRF cavities. In addition, all those patents and art do not use the two-step method and specially-profiled rollers like in present invention.
Thus, an efficient tube-necking spinning method and apparatus therefor solving the aforementioned problems are needed.
The tube-necking spinning process remains the main challenge to solve and to innovate for mass production of SRF cavities. It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus and method for spinning processing which solves the above problems and difficulties, increases the feeding rate and shortens the roller path to greatly reduce processing time and accurately control the spun profile.
The tube-necking spinning method and apparatus therefor of the present invention are configured to provide high efficient and accurate spin forming of metal tubes and similar work pieces. While the present invention may be adapted for use in spin forming a generally tubular necking shape of any practicable size and for any practicable purpose, it is particular well suited for spinning the necking or iris shapes of seamless multi-cell SRF cavities for particle accelerators.
The spinning processing method of the present invention comprises applying two specially-profiled rollers and a two-step tube-necking spinning processing method for spin forming tubular metal components. By means of the driving mechanism of the spinning equipment, a work piece or blank metal tube is rotated around its longitudinal axis. To spin one full cell shape, in first step, a plurality of primary forming rollers with a selected profile shape move along primary roller paths to form the first part of the necking shape; then in a second step, a plurality of secondary forming rollers with a selected profile shape move along secondary roller paths, to draw the metal tube and form a section of reduced diameter. By applying a certain axial load P at one end along longitudinal axis of the metal tube in both steps, it is easier to achieve the accurate spun profile. No mandrel is required for spinning the full cell shape. To spin multiple full cells, the two-step method for each full cell is repeated. To spin an end shape like SRF cavity ends, this two-step method is still applied, but the roller path is required to change to fit the end shape and a simple mandrel with the same diameter of inside of target end is required to be applied.
The spinning processing apparatus according to the invention comprises means for supporting and rotating a metal tube round its longitudinal axis thereof; means for supporting and driving two series of profiled rollers: a plurality of primary profiled rollers in first step and a plurality of secondary profiled rollers in second step, respectively; and means for applying axial loads along the longitudinal axis of the metal tube. With this apparatus, the processing method of present invention described above can be carried out. Among components in the processing apparatus, except the primary profiled rollers and secondary profiled rollers, all other components are same as that in conventional spinning and can still use the conventional spinning equipment and related tools, which is commercially available from multiple manufacturers.
The present invention has several advantages and features that are not provided in earlier developed devices and methods of the prior art. The present invention provides much bigger feeding rate in each spinning passes by the profiled forming rollers. These features greatly decrease processing time. The secondary forming rollers that have a similar cross-section shape to the target spun shape accurately control the profile of a spun work piece and eliminate the spinning mandrel, which is a big difficulty in the spinning of multi-cell SRF cavities.
The initial tube blank diameter is the same as left end 2g (or right end 2h) and equals 2e in
The target necking shape is obtained gradually by driving the roller along the roller path, moving in radial and axial directions. To simplify and clarify, herein the same definitions of the roller pass and roller path as that in conventional spinning are used. Each motion curve of a roller from left to right or from right to left is called a roller pass. A combined curve of all motion curves for the same roller in a processing operation is called a “roller path.” The roller path limit is the envelope curve of roller shape at moving limit points of all roller passes of the same roller. A roller pass is a feeding curve. In spinning, there are different types and shapes of passes or feeding curves. Driving the roller along a roller path to provide feeding and forming force forms the tube to the target shape. So, the design of the roller path is critical. There are different types of roller paths. The basic principle of roller path design is the same as that in conventional spinning, and may be obtained from manuals or handbooks, such as ASM Handbook Volume 14B. For tube-necking spinning of SRF cavities, the most effective roller path is a set of multi-pass, multi-direction feeding curves.
The operation may be carried out by means of a driving mechanism for the spinning equipment, rotating a metal tube around its longitudinal axis (X) as work piece 2 or blank tube. To spin one full cell shape, in the first step, the primary forming roller 6 with profiled section shape 6a in
Alternatively, the operation of tube-necking may be carried out by means of a driving mechanism for the spinning equipment, maintaining a metal tube stationary around its longitudinal axis (X) as work piece 2 or blank tube and rotating the forming rollers around the metal tube. FEA results show that this method also results in very good spun profiles at low thinning
The roller section profile 6a of primary forming rollers 6 in the present invention may be as shown in
The best spun profile is obtained by using specially profiled secondary roller 8 moving in radial and axial directions, that is, moving along secondary roller path 9. The roller section profile 8a of secondary forming rollers 8 (its central line is 8e) in the present invention is illustrated in
When the necking width is very big, more step roller noses similar to 6r or 6l can be added to roller 6 to further increase feeding and shorten the roller path, and/or a three or more step method can be used, in which different profiled rollers are used in each step to further speed up the processing.
For mass production, the present invention can also be used on separate spinning equipment to further increase production: applying the primary forming rollers 6 and the first step to one machine, and applying the secondary forming rollers 8 and the second step to another machine. Similarly, the two-step method of present invention may be applied to each of multiple machines, or some for first step and others for second step.
Similar to the preferred embodiment, the present invention can be used in spinning where primary profiled rollers and/or secondary profiled rollers are used for one step, two-step, and multi-step processing.
The present invention does not require special equipment or machine to carry out. The present invention may use conventional spinning equipment. By using two series of rollers comprising primary forming rollers 6 and secondary forming rollers 8 and the two-step method, the present invention greatly increases feeding rate in each spinning pass, shortens each pass's length, greatly increases the processing efficiency, and accurately controls the spun shapes. Moreover, it eliminates the complicated mandrel of conventional spinning. It is especially cost-effective to produce multi-cell SRF cavities and other types of tube-necking products.
Comparing conventional tube-necking spinning (
Finite element analysis (FEA) has demonstrated the feasibility and applicability of the present invention. The FEA results have shown that the present invention can obtain a very good profile of a spun work piece, well meet the thinning requirement and greatly decrease the processing time. Moreover, mandrel-free operation is feasible for the full cell tube-necking spinning of SRF cavities.
The present invention solves the difficulties in tube-necking spinning for SRF cavities, providing a high efficiency, low cost and reliable seamless fabrication method, and has high a potential market value. As the key components of modern particle accelerators, the SRF cavities are widely utilized in HEP facilities and industrial fields. The demand of the ILC project alone would be higher than $1 billion at current market value. The applications include nuclear physics, military, material analysis, medical and industrial isotope generation, and power generation devices.
Although the present invention has been described with respect to specific details, it is not intended that such details should be regarded as limitations on the scope of the invention, except to the extent that they are included in the accompanying claims.