Spinning is a process where a flat plate or hollow blank is fixed onto the mold of a spinning machine. As the blank rotates along with the machine’s spindle, a roller or mandrel is pressed against the blank, causing localized plastic deformation. The combined action of the roller’s feed motion and the blank’s rotation gradually extends the plastic deformation across the entire surface of the blank, making it adhere closely to the mold, thereby completing the metal spinning process of the part.
Spinning is a specialized forming method. Using the spinning process, various rotating bodies can be formed, including deep drawing, flanging, necking, bulging, and beading processes.
Spinning Equipment
- By Deformation Principle
- Conventional Spinning Machine
- Power Spinning Machine
- By Spindle Position
- Horizontal Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with a horizontal spindle.
- Vertical Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with a vertical spindle.
- By Number of Rollers
- Single Roller Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with one roller.
- Double Roller Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with two rollers.
- Triple Roller Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with three rollers.
- Multi-Roller Spinning Machine: A spinning machine with more than three rollers.
- By Relative Position of the Core Mold
- External Spinning Machine: A spinning machine where the roller applies pressure from the outside of the workpiece.
- Internal Spinning Machine: A spinning machine where the roller applies pressure from the inside of the workpiece.
- By Metal Flow Direction
- Forward Spinning: Spinning where the metal flow direction is the same as the roller movement direction.
- Reverse Spinning: Spinning where the metal flow direction is opposite to the roller movement direction.
- Forward and Reverse Spinning: Spinning where the metal flows in both directions during the process.
- By Spinning Temperature
- Hot Spinning Machine: A spinning machine that can perform spinning with heated workpieces.
- Cold Spinning Machine: A spinning machine that performs spinning at room temperature.
Spinning Process
The blank and core mold rotate together, and pressure is applied by the roller, causing the blank to conform to the core mold and undergo localized deformation, as shown in the diagram [Spinning Principle]. Spinning can produce various axially symmetric rotating parts, such as loudspeakers, projectiles, high-pressure container heads, and copper gongs. It can also be used for necking gas cylinders and forming cylindrical blanks. The characteristics of spinning include the ability to form large workpieces with minimal deformation force, simple equipment, and the use of a core mold with low material requirements. Spinning is suitable for small batch production, but is limited to processing rotating parts, making it less productive. Spinning can be performed using specialized machinery with profiling and numerically controlled spinning. The process that reduces the thickness of the sheet during spinning is called thinning spinning, also known as power spinning, which is often used for processing conical parts and thin-walled tubular parts, as well as spinning large-diameter deep cylinders, which can then be cut open to make flat plates.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Spinning
The advantages of cnc spinning include simple equipment and molds (a lathe can substitute for a specialized spinning machine if unavailable). In addition to forming cylindrical, conical, parabolic, and other complex-shaped rotating bodies, spinning can also process quite complex shapes. However, the drawbacks include low productivity and high labor intensity, making it more suitable for trial production and small batch manufacturing.
As the production of airplanes, rockets, and missiles demanded more, thinning spinning (also known as power spinning) was developed based on conventional spinning.
Rotary Forging
Rotary forging is a processing technique that uses a rotary forging machine, which combines forging and rolling. In a rotary forging machine, the deformation process is completed by gradually expanding the localized deformation, resulting in low deformation resistance, light machine mass, smooth operation, no vibration, and easy automation. Machines such as roll forging machines, forming rolling mills, plate rolling machines, multi-roll straighteners, spreading machines, and spinning machines are all rotary forging machines.
Principle of Rotary Forging
The process of turning a porous sintered molybdenum rod (blank) into a dense metal with a certain strength involves rotary forging. Rotary forging features two hammer dies that rotate at high speed around the vertical axis while performing periodic reciprocating motion in the sliding groove, forging the blank at high speed and high frequency. The process combines multidirectional forging and pulse forging, and the forged piece is subjected to triaxial compressive stress, making it suitable for initial processing of molybdenum, a low-plasticity, high-strength metal. In a Y-type rolling mill, three rollers on each mill stand are axially arranged at 120-degree angles, with the hole shape formed by the roller surfaces arranged at 120-degree angles. During rolling, the rollers compress the rolled piece from three symmetrical directions. In the next pass, the rollers rotate 180 degrees to compress the rolled piece from the other three directions. Throughout the multi-stand three-roller rolling process, the rolled piece is subjected to significant hydrostatic pressure, which is very beneficial for improving metal plasticity. The Y-type three-roller rolling mill classifies hole shapes into arc-triangle and flat-triangle shapes based on the roller surface profile, with arc-triangle shapes being particularly suitable for initial rolling of tungsten and molybdenum materials.
Applications of Rotary Forging
In the automotive industry, the continuous pursuit of fuel efficiency has led to the adoption of cold rotary forging technology, significantly reducing component weight. In the first improvement phase, weight reduction reached 50%, replacing solid shafts with hollow ones without compromising component technical characteristics. This process is particularly attractive for machining hollow gear shafts, where complex wall thickness variations can be well controlled, something not achievable with other processes.
China Metal Spinning Company
Be-cu is a global supplier of spun metal components for Aerospace, Defense, Industrial and Commercial Manufacturers. With flexibility in our processes and a reputation for quality work, we are quick to respond to our customer’s needs. We use the latest Automatic Spinning technology and cellular manufacturing to keep our costs competitive for prototypes & production quantities.Our staff has extensive experience in manufacturing and is here to provide an exceptional metal spinning source to our customers.
When asked to consider us for ongoing business, an Aerospace customer replied: “You can count on it…quality and customer service are exceptional.”
Quality and Customer Service are a priority at Be-cu Our customers expect the highest level of performance, which we achieve through implementing company-wide education and training programs for all employees, including our commitment to our AS9100 & ISO 9001 Certified Quality Management System.
We work hard to understand our customer’s needs, and develop that knowledge into the skillful execution of the metal spinning process to achieve all of the mechanical and technical requirements of a part.
The talented, in charge and make-it-happen people at Be-cu are our strength. As a team, we answer the demands of industry with flexibility, high quality standards and prompt service. A strong working relationship with our customers has brought us many challenges and successes, affording us the opportunity to invest in the latest Automatic Metal Spinning equipment; an investment that broadens the core base of parts we manufacture. In 2007 we acquired another business to expand our fabricating, assembly and finishing operations, including welding, polishing and powder coating.
At Be-cu.com,we work hard, we work smart, we listen; and we look forward to doing business with you!
