Closed-die forging process of copper alloy valve body: finite element simulation and experiments

This study analyzed the closed-die forging process of the copper alloy valve body is presented. Two variants represent the forging processes of the copper alloy valve body on conventional double-action press and multicored forging press, which differ in the initial positions of punches and the sequences of punches movement. A comparison of the two processes was made by finite element (FE) simulations, which include geometry, filling sequence, and force. However, during the experiment, it was found that when the copper alloy valve body was forged on a conventional double-action press, the central punch was easy to bend or even break, and the end surface of the central valve hole was prone to cold shut. Through further analysis of the experimental process and FE simulation results, the causes of mould failure and valve body defects were discovered. FE simulation results of force, strain, and stress all showed that the technological safety and the product quality of multicored forging press were considerably better than those of the forging on a conventional double-action press. The experimental results were in agreement with the FE simulation results. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.