Study on New Neck Forming Process for Spherical Plain Bearing and Optimum of the Necking Force

To improve the quality of the self-lubricating spherical plain bearing, a new technology of Two-way neck forming process for the manufacture of the self-lubricating spherical plain bearing was brought out. The shape of the bearing out ring blank was optimized by the parametric finite element method to minimize the necking force in the bearing neck forming process. The two-way necking die was designed and the necking experiment was carried out. The result shows that two-way neck forming process can produce the spherical plain bearing successfully and avoid the defects caused by One-way neck forming process in finished bearing. The shape optimization method for the bearing can decrease the necking force during the neck forming process dramatically.