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The selection of materials for an engineering component is not only requested by its design function and shape, but alsothe sequence through which it is manufactured. The manufacturing operation of roller chains involves drawing andtrimming processes aimed at producing semi-finished chain drives component with a well-standardized dimension. Inaddition to final combination of properties required by design constraints, the ability of materials to be formed into adesired shape and geometry without failure is also critical. The objective of materials selection should therefore involveadditional attributes that are not typically accommodated by the standard procedure of materials selection. The presentpaper deals with the selection of materials for roller chains from the perspective of manufacturing process. Ears andun-uniform wall thickness have been identified as a key problem in the mass production of component. Provided allprocess parameters were established, the anisotropy factor of materials is critical. Simulative test can be reasonablyused to obtain material performance indices that can be added up to the standard procedure of material selection. Ofthree commercially available steel grades evaluated with regard to the criteria defined, one grade is more suitable for thepresent objective. |
