Analysis of Strain and Temperature Distributions in Variable-Speed Rolling of Wind Turbine Shaft Bearing Rings

Recently, near-net-shape rolling has emerged as a key manufacturing technology for producing high-precision, fatigue-resistant bearing rings with irregular cross-sections, particularly for the production of Wind Turbine Shaft Bearings (WTSBs). The deformation behavior of the material during this rolling process is governed by temperature and rolling speed. Therefore, based on a thermomechanical coupled analysis, a simulation model for the deformation process of GCr15SiMn profiled rings during variable-speed rolling was developed in this study. The model was experimentally validated, confirming a dimensional error of less than 3‰. And then, the distribution of strain and temperature were analyzed during the rolling of the profiled ring. As the initial temperature increased from 1040 °C to 1160 °C, the standard deviation of strain (SDP) decreased from 6.12 to 4.05. Correspondingly, the standard deviation of temperature (SDT) was raised from 4.32 to 4.74. When the drive roll speed was increased from 2.5 rad/s to 4.0 rad/s, the SDP was reduced from 4.24 to 3.42. In addition, the SDT decreased from 4.42 to 3.21. The research indicates that SDP is primarily affected by initial temperature, whereas SDT is significantly influenced by drive roller speed. On the one hand, this study provides a clearly defined optimization framework, parameter ranges for achieving optimal uniformity in GCr15SiMn material (temperature of 1100–1130 °C, speed of 3.0–3.5 rad/s), and their anticipated benefits (an SDP reduction of 32% and an SDT reduction of 15%). On the other hand, it also establishes quantifiable industrial control targets, defining key quality assurance values (SDP ≤ 5.0, SDT ≤ 4.5). The rolling stability and precision can be improved through the selection of optimized rolling temperatures and speeds. This finding provides a theoretical foundation and technical framework for improving the rolling process stability of profiled cross-section bearing rings. Furthermore, this study is of positive significance for reducing the manufacturing costs of high-performance WTSBs.