Evaluating interactions between the heavy forging process and the assisting manipulator combining FEM simulation and kinematics analysis

In heavy forging, a manipulator is indispensable to assist and help the precision of the forming process. This paper presents a multi-system simulation methodology combining the forging finite element method (FEM) simulation and the kinematics analysis to evaluate the mutual reaction loads between the forging process and the assisting manipulator. The forging is realized by the thermal-mechanical FEM simulation and the kinematics movements are analyzed based on the statics and dynamics modeling of the manipulator. The reaction load generating from the forging process to the manipulator clamps is treated as an input parameter for the kinematics analysis system, which will then calculate the movement of the manipulator. And this movement is regarded as the passive compliant movement constraint and applied on the forging process through the manipulator clamps. Using this coupled system, the study compares the reaction loads with and without the active vertical compliant movement and/or the passive horizontal compliant movement and reveals the effect of these compliant movements on the reaction loads.