An investigation of the curvature variation in rolling a stiffened panel

Integral aluminium-stiffened panel, recognised for their light weight and superior performance, holds great potential for manufacturing through a combination of extrusion and subsequent rolling. Rolling these panels often leads to undesired curved shape due to their asymmetrical cross-sections; a careful control of rolling parameters for asymmetrical rolling is therefore essential to achieve the target shape—either straight or with specific curvature. The key influencing factors and their influencing mechanisms, however, have not been clarified. This study investigates the effects of various rolling parameters on panel curvature through finite element simulations. The results reveal that the primary influencing factors are plate thickness reduction, stiffener reduction, and speed ratio at a given geometry, while secondary factors include roll diameter, friction coefficient, temperature, roll speed, and panel material. Increasing the plate thickness reduction increases the curvature, while increasing the stiffener reduction reduces it. A higher speed ratio also decreases the curvature. Additionally, maintaining equal reductions in the plate thickness and stiffener can produce the most geometrically accurate panels, preventing material underfill or overfilling of the groove during rolling. The findings suggest that appropriate combination of rolling parameters enables the precise control over the curvature, contributing to the development of an efficient, high-performance rolling process for aluminium-stiffened panels.