FINITE-ELEMENT SIMULATIONS IN COLD-FORGING PROCESS DESIGN

Various aspects of the application of finite-element simulations of cold-forging in process design are discussed. The importance of a realistic material description that accounts for temperature, strain-rate and strain effects is emphasized, in the present study a thermo elastoviscoplastic internal state variable constitutive model being employed. The three first forging operations in the production of an aluminium chassis component, a backward extrusion and two ironing operations, are simulated and analyzed, the study revealing that commercially available general purpose finite-element codes have the potential of being an important tool in improving the process design procedure.