A multi-stage cold forging process was developed and complemented with finite element analysis (FEA) to manufacture a high-strength one-body input shaft with a long length body and no separate parts. FEA showed that the one-body input shaft was manufactured without any defects or fractures. Experiments, such as tensile, hardness, torsion, and fatigue tests, and microstructural characterization, were performed to compare the properties of the input shaft produced by the proposed method with those produced using the machining process. The ultimate tensile strength showed a 50% increase and the torque showed a 100 Nm increase, confirming that the input shaft manufactured using the proposed process is superior to that processed using the machining process. Thus, this study provides a proof-of-concept for the design and development of a multi-stage cold forging process to manufacture a one-body input shaft with improved mechanical properties and material recovery rate.
Keywords: fatigue test; input shaft; multi-stage cold forging process; shrink fit; torsion test.