Cross-rolling process for manufacturing lightweight hybrid components

•Cross-rolling process for manufacturing shaft-hub joints is presented.•Joining mechanism analyzed in detail.•Torque measurements show good repeatability.•Combined axial and radial force-fit significantly increases the maximum torque. Incremental forming processes such as cross-rolling offer great flexibility for manufacturing components. In this paper a cross-rolling process for joining hybrid components is presented. For the formation of a combined form- and force-fit joint for an assembled camshaft, two sets of work rolls form the shaft material towards a positioned hub or gear wheel. Numerical process analysis is used to identify a suitable work roll path and the experimental investigations show the feasibility of the process. The joining mechanisms are discussed in detail and are experimentally validated. In the experimental tests presented here, the force-fit component of the joining mechanisms is predominant. It is shown that a combined axial and radial force-fit can increase the maximum transmissible torque significantly.