Finite Element Simulation of Three-Roll Skew Rolling Piercing and Continuous Rolling of TA24 Titanium Alloy

TA24 titanium alloy represents a typical near-alpha titanium alloy within China’s titanium alloy material standards system, offering advantages such as high-temperature resistance, high specific strength, and ease of machining. The oblique rolling piercing combined with continuous rolling process yields high rolling efficiency and material utilization for producing seamless titanium alloy tubes, securing an irreplaceable position within the high-end equipment manufacturing sector. In this study, with the TA24 titanium alloy as the object and by the method of finite element simulation, the effects of varying top extensions and roll speeds on the oblique rolling and piercing process, and the distribution of rolling forces and stress-strain states during continuous rolling are investigated. Findings indicate that increasing the top extension within appropriate limits can effectively reduce both the rolling force on the rollers during oblique rolling piercing, thereby extending mandrel service life. Similarly, raising roller speed within suitable ranges can enhance rolling efficiency and improves stress uniformity. During the continuous rolling simulation, with the increasing of rolling pass, the maximum rolling force across all passes increases first and then decreases, that of the second pass to the highest. The numerical simulation calculation deviations of the rolling force and mandrel axial force are 4.51% and 3.26%, respectively. After the sixth rolling pass, the wall thickness and outer diameter calculation deviations of the pipe are 0.61% and 0.90%, respectively. This demonstrates that the simulation process can predict the evolution patterns of various physical quantities during the rolling process of TA24 titanium alloy with high precision, providing clear guidance for actual production.