WFT - Winkelmann Flowforming Technology

Aerospace Defense Oil & Gas General VEHICLE

Market Segment: Defense

Forming of steels in the tempered, highly resilient condition is an essential part of the production of rocket motors and other light-weight construction parts where the additional cold hardening permits the production of very thin-walled, high-strength components. Launch-tubes, warhead sleeves and hollow charge assignments are also applications for flow-forming. The metal-spinning procedure is also used to produce running rollers for track vehicles.

Motor housings

The production of rocket motor housings by way of flow-forming, based on round material or forged parts, reduces material use by 60 to 80 %. High-strength tempered steels such as SAE 4130 or curing alloys such as Maraging, aluminium and stainless steels (15-5 PH, 17-4 PH) are outstanding for this application.

» see the production

Rocket tips, warhead sleeves

Conical hollow bodies are produced by shear flow-forming (conical flow-forming). The components are usually made of one seamless sheet. A combination of curved conical shapes (ogives) and straight cones in connection with cylinders permits diverse design of the component geometry. The usable materials are the same as in cylindrical flow-forming procedures.

» see the production

Launch tubes

The flow-forming procedure permits shaping of stiffeners or guides in the longitudinal direction on the inside. A special forming procedure permits the production of guides with a swirl (helix).

» see the production

Running rollers

High-strength running rollers are made of sheet metal by metal-spinning. Sheet thicknesses of up to 0.79 inch can be used here. After metal-spinning the rollers are tempered and therefore offer best strengths at low weight and high wear resilience, specifically in chain vehicles.

» see the production

  • Motor housings

    The production of rocket motor housings by way of flow-forming, based on round material or forged parts, reduces material use by 60 to 80 %. High-strength tempered steels such as SAE 4130 or curing alloys such as Maraging, aluminium and stainless steels (15-5 PH, 17-4 PH) are outstanding for this application.

    » see the production

  • Rocket tips, warhead sleeves

    Conical hollow bodies are produced by shear flow-forming (conical flow-forming). The components are usually made of one seamless sheet. A combination of curved conical shapes (ogives) and straight cones in connection with cylinders permits diverse design of the component geometry. The usable materials are the same as in cylindrical flow-forming procedures.

    » see the production

  • Launch tubes

    The flow-forming procedure permits shaping of stiffeners or guides in the longitudinal direction on the inside. A special forming procedure permits the production of guides with a swirl (helix).

    » see the production

  • Running rollers

    High-strength running rollers are made of sheet metal by metal-spinning. Sheet thicknesses of up to 0.79 inch can be used here. After metal-spinning the rollers are tempered and therefore offer best strengths at low weight and high wear resilience, specifically in chain vehicles.

    » see the production

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