Defect analysis of complex-shape aluminum alloy forging

The isothermal precision forging was applied for the purpose of forming aluminum alloy with complex shape. The complexity of forging is easy to lead to the occurrence of the defects, such as underfilling, folding, metal flow lines disturbance and fibre breaking. The reasons for the defects were analyzed on the basis of experiments and finite element method(FEM). The results show that the size of flash gutter bridge, the lubricating condition and the deformation process are the main factors influencing the filling qualities of complex-shape aluminum alloy forging. The folding defect is mainly caused by different velocities of filling cavities, fast flow of much metal in one direction and confluence of two or multi metal strands. Improper metal distribution in different regions can cause the flow lines disturbance and fast metal flow in one direction is also a cause of the flow lines disturbance. According to the reasons, some measures were taken to improve the quality of the forged parts.These studies can contribute to offering some experiences in making process project and optimizing the process parameters for forging complex-shape aviation products.