Quantification of dynamically inhomogeneous acoustoplastic effect on rolling process of superalloy thin-walled complex-section ring

Superalloy thin-walled complex-section rings, vital for industrial sealing systems, face challenges of localized wall thinning and section springback during deformation. To address these challenges, this work developed an Ultrasonic Vibration-Assisted (UVA) rolling process, where Ultrasonic Vibration (UV) was applied to ring via feed roller. However, circumferential rotation and structural variation of the ring induce dynamically inhomogeneous acoustoplastic effect, thereby complicating process prediction and control. To this problem, a quantification method comprising three key components was proposed: (ⅰ) an acoustoplastic constitutive model related to Acoustic Energy Density (AED) to describe the ring’s mechanical response, (ⅱ) a Gaussian function to model the circumferential AED distribution, (ⅲ) a cyclic coupling calculation framework of ultrasonic and deformation fields to capture the axial AED evolution. Using this method, an UVA rolling finite element model of W-section ring was established to reveal the evolution of AED and its influence on deformation. Radial UV concentrates energy in contact zones, exacerbating localized thinning, while axial UV induces uniform AED, suppressing thinning and springback. A spatiotemporal matching strategy of ultrasonic and deformation fields was finally proposed to improve deformation behavior during rolling forming. This work offers a new approach for high-performance manufacturing of thin-walled complex-section rings.