Application of hydraulic cone rolling machine in aerospace industry

In the manufacturing chain of the aerospace industry, hydraulic cone rolling machine are reshaping the manufacturing standards of key components with micrometer level precision and intelligent control capabilities. From the conical section of rocket thrusters to the complex curved surface of aircraft engine casings, from stealth structural components of sixth generation fighter jets to satellite skin components, hydraulic cone rolling machines use closed-loop control systems, multi zone and multi segment precision control paths, and cross material adaptation technology to compress taper tolerances to within ± 0.01mm, reducing scrap rates by more than 60% and becoming the core equipment supporting China's aerospace power strategy.
1、 Technological breakthrough
Traditional cone rolling equipment relies on mechanical transmission, which poses pain points such as large precision fluctuations and low efficiency in mold changing. Modern hydraulic cone rolling machines achieve flexible control of four-dimensional adjustment of up, down, front, and rear through a hydraulic transmission system with three cone shafts. Taking the aviation grade hydraulic cone rolling machine developed by Zhonghe Forging as an example, its core innovation is reflected in:
Closed loop control system: integrating laser ranging sensors and digital twin models, real-time monitoring of sheet deformation and dynamic adjustment of pressure parameters. In the manufacturing of the conical section of a certain type of rocket fuel storage tank, the system controls the wall thickness deviation within ± 0.02mm by sampling data 2000 times per second, far exceeding international standards.
Multi zone and multi-stage precision control technology: A process path of "segmented loading constant pressure holding re pressurization" has been developed for new aviation materials such as titanium alloys and carbon fiber composite materials. In the manufacturing of the conical parts of the C919 engine nacelle, this technology has increased the material grain refinement rate by 40% and the fatigue life has exceeded 20000 cycles.

Cross material adaptability: Through the collaboration of laser ultrasonic composite processing head and servo direct drive hydraulic system, zero damage forming of metal/non-metal composite structures is achieved. In the manufacturing of stealth intake cones for sixth generation fighter jets, this technology reduces surface roughness to Ra0.2 μ m, meeting radar stealth requirements.

2、 Typical application: Full chain coverage from rocket thrusters to satellite components
1. Manufacturing of conical segments for rocket thrusters
In the development of the Zhuque-2 liquid oxygen methane rocket, Hengli Hydraulic provided 17 sets of specialized hydraulic cylinder equipment, which constructed the core power system of the launch erecting device. Among them, for the forming requirements of the conical section of the thruster, the hydraulic cone rolling machine developed adopts:
8000 ton high-pressure system: Through a graded pressure process, the 20mm thick TA15 titanium alloy sheet completes plastic deformation from a flat plate to a cone within 120 seconds, reducing residual stress by 35%.
Double loop temperature control: 200 temperature sensors are arranged at the contact surface between the mold and the sheet, combined with an induction heating system, to control the heat affected zone within 3mm and avoid material performance degradation.
This technology has shortened the manufacturing cycle of the conical section of the thruster from 45 days to 18 days, reduced the unit cost by 52%, and provided key support for the successful launch of the world's first liquid oxygen methane rocket.
2. Aircraft engine casing
The intelligent hydraulic cone rolling machine developed by Professor Ding Wenfeng's team at Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics has achieved three major technological breakthroughs in response to the manufacturing challenges of "thin walls, irregular shapes, and high temperatures" in aircraft engine casings

Nano level alignment accuracy: By integrating magnetic levitation guidance system with visual recognition technology, the assembly clearance of various components of the engine casing is controlled within 0.005mm, meeting the inter stage sealing requirements of GE9X engine.

Grain streamline control: In the rolling process of GH4169 high-temperature alloy, a process path of "slow rise rate constant pressure rapid cooling" is adopted, which makes the angle between the grain orientation and the load direction of the material less than 15 °, and improves the creep resistance by 25%.
Online defect detection: Integrated terahertz imaging and ultrasonic phased array technology, real-time monitoring of 0.1mm level microcracks, increasing the NDI (non-destructive testing) qualification rate of engine casings to 99.97%.
3. Flexible manufacturing of satellite skin components
In the development of the Beidou-3 satellite, the servo direct drive hydraulic cone rolling machine launched by Zhonghe Forging meets the requirements of space environment adaptability through the following innovations:
0.1mm/s slow loading: During the rolling process of 0.5mm thick aluminum alloy skin, the elastic recovery is controlled within 0.03mm to ensure the flatness of the solar panel deployment.
Stress strain dual closed-loop control: Through real-time feedback from 2000 strain gauges, the compression speed is dynamically adjusted to improve the uniformity of residual stress distribution in the skin component by 60%, meeting the requirement of ± 0.5 ℃ thermal deformation.

Modular rapid changeover: Adopting the "digital process package+intelligent fixture library" mode, it achieves 10 minute rapid changeover of different specifications of satellite components, supporting the effective launch requirements of "one rocket, multiple satellites" for Beidou satellites.

From the launch of the Zhuque-2 rocket to the establishment of the Beidou satellite network, from the soaring of the C919 to the stealth of the sixth generation fighter jet, the hydraulic cone rolling machine is writing a hardcore answer sheet for China's aerospace manufacturing with the technological evolution of "millimeter level accuracy, micrometer level control, and nanometer level breakthroughs". In this journey to the vast sea of stars, the hydraulic cone rolling machine is not only the shaper of metal sheets, but also the witness and promoter of China's transition from manufacturing to a "smart manufacturing power".