Simulation of Hot Forging for Optimizing the Preform Shape

Hot Forging is a manufacturing method that is applied to a wide variety of high strength automotive components. To satisfy demands of lower costs and shorter production time, it is essential to monitor the forging process minutely. Advanced process modeling combined with simulation is need of the hour. It leads to the understanding of dynamic materials behavior of the process in a quantitative way. The traditional build-and-test methods of developing a complete manufacturing process are based on experience. The part geometries are generally quite complex and the simpler analytical methods could not handle the task of providing accurate solutions to engineering problems. The numerical methods such as general-purpose finite-element method (FEM) can easily handle large deformation plasticity analysis. The simulation of hot forging operation was carried out at a workpiece temperature of 1250°C and die temperature of 350°C. The optimum aspect ratio is calculated for both types of stock namely, round corner square (RCS) and round type.