Four-die radial forging device - an attached improvement

for conventional forging presses

Summary
Development of new forging equipment designed to produce heavy parts by means
of open-die forging method has always been a great challenge for designers and
process engineers. It’s only due to the experience gained during several decades from
radial-forging machines developing and building and also from various forging
aggregates and machines designing there appeared a new approach to the task of
efficiency increase for ingots- and blanks drawing. Four-die forging devices designed to
produce heavy ingots proved to be highly effective in operation, while the costs for their
production are relatively low.
1. General
Public Joint Stock Company (OAO) Tyazhpressmash is a producer of a wide range
of forging- and press equipment, tools for oil/gas production industry аnd also blanks
and forged parts made from structural and tool steel by open-die forging technology.
The production program of OAO Tyazhpressmash incorporates the following forging-
and press equipment:
- hydraulic presses
- automatic machines and automatic production lines designed for cold- and hot
die forming
- plate/sheet bending machines
- horizontal forging machines
- radial-forging machines
- on-rail manipulators
- briquetting presses
- four-die forging devices designed to be installed on hydraulic forging presses.
The forging-press equipment produced at our facilities is successfully used not only
in Russia but also abroad: in the USA, Japan, Austria, China, India, Hungary, Iran,
Vietnam, in the countries of South America and many others.
A large variety of oil/gas tools for oil and gas producing industry is also a part of
our production program.
OAO Tyazhpressmash facilities consist of a unique system of large production shops
and divisions such as steel foundry, forging, machining, welding, heat-treatment and
assembly shops.
OAO Tyazhpressmash is a reputed manufacturer of forged parts made from
structural and tool steels on hammers and presses.
Our steel foundry is equipped with two electric arc furnaces with respective
capacities of 6 ton and 20 ton. The 20 ton electric arc furnace operates from a DC power
supply source. Employed in our foundry are oxygen blasting equipment and equipment
intended to treat metal in ladle with argon outside the furnace. The foundry also
incorporates a bottom-gate casting section for 3 tons to 10 tons ingots production.

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 2. Forging shop
Production of forged parts is one of the main activities of OAO Tyazhpressmash.
The forging shop incorporates three production sections: hammer section 1, press
section 2, forged parts cutting section 3 and machine repair section 4 (Fig.1).

Straightener press
Hammers Band saw
1

Heating furnaces Annealing furnace

1.6 MN Radial
Machine Shot blasting unit Forging Machine
tools 20 MN Press 20 MN Press

Fig.1. Arrangement of the equipment in the forging shop

Two 20 MN hydraulic forging presses are installed in the press production sector.
Each of the presses is equipped with an on-rail manipulator.
Ingots are heated either in gas chamber heat treatment furnaces of bogie-type or in jet
heating furnaces. Conventional gas chamber furnaces are used to heat a number of
ingots with total weight up to 60 t. An innovative high-speed jet heating furnaces,
depending on the particular furnace design, are used to heat either one ingot up to 10 t
or two ingots up to 10 t each which are arranged one after another. The front ingot is
heated up to the forging temperature while the next ingot is warmed with the waste
gases up to 700-9000С. Then the ingot heated up to the forging temperature required is
fed to the forging station and the warmed ingot takes its place in the furnace. Used in
the high-speed jet heating furnaces are modern heat-insulation fibrous materials. The
furnaces are equipped with an electronic control system and are provided with positive
mechanical sealing. Ingots heating in a jet heating furnace ensures 35 per cent gas
saving in comparison with heating procedure in a 60 t conventional bogie-type furnace.
After the forging operation is completed the forged parts are placed into the heat-
treating furnaces to be annealed or normalized and after that, if necessary, are
straightened on a straightening press. Upon Customer’s request forged parts can be
supplied in non-machined condition. Thus, forged parts after heat treatment and, if

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necessary, after straightening shall be shot-blasted in the shot-blasting chamber
arranged in the forging shop. Forged parts are cut by means of band saws employed in
the shop. Due to this cutting method benefits metal wastes are reduced to minimum.
3. Forging presses equipped with four-die forging devices employed in the
forging shop
Employed in the forging shop are two 20 NN forging presses equipped with special-
type four-die forging devices for ingots radial forging (refer to Fig 2). The top portion
of the forging device is fastened to the plate interconnected with the press movable
cross-beam while its bottom portion is secured on the press table. With the movable
cross-beam going upwards the forging device working area becomes larger; then as the
movable cross-beam goes down the forging device dies close and an ingot is
simultaneously reduced from four sides. The forging process employed in the four-dies
forging device is similar to that used in radial forging machines (RF machines). Still the
radial forging method implemented in a four-die forging device mounted on a hydraulic
press demonstrates a number of significant advantages as compared to radial forging
machines. These advantages are based on the forging device design features and forging
process properties which contribute to high quality of the forged parts metal.
The four-die forging devices are suitable to forge parts with cross-sectional size up
to 1000 mm. They are equipped with four sets of flat-surface dies and two sets of
curved-surface dies each (Fig. 3,4, Table 1).

Fig. 2

3
 Table 1
Die set No. Dies dimensions, mm
Flat working surface dies Curved working surface dies
B L D L¢
1 140 650 - -
2 260 650 - -
3 300 650 - -
4 350 650 - -
5 - - 280 600
6 - - 400 600

L
В

L'

Fig. 3 Fig. 4
Fig. 3, 4
The flat-surface dies are intended to produce round- and square cross-section parts
while the curved-surface dies – sized parts of round cross-section. Thus, the dies from
No. 5 set are intended to produce sized parts in diameters from 280 mm to 390 mm
and the dies from No. 6 set – for sized parts in diameters from 400 mm to 520 mm.
The curved-surface dies are designed to perform forging operation on ingots and to
produce sized parts of round cross-section with the same die set. A 10-tons faceted ingot
of 1000 mm cross-sectional size, for example, can be forged in the No.6 set curved-
surface dies to the finish diameter of 400 mm without any need for supplementary
heating. The forged parts produced exhibit smooth surface; the surface quality does not
differ from that of a rolled product (refer to Fig. 5).

Fig. 5

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 Four-die reduction method developed for the four-die forging device provides for
more than usual radial shear strains; it also ensures additional shear strains in the cross-
sectional area. Moreover, compression stresses are generated in the surface layer of a
part being forged contributing to less fractures in the metal surface; it also results in a
thinner defective layer which is to be removed by finish machining.
Radial forging method involves intensive deformation heating which ensures
required temperature range maintained within the complete forging operation.
As a result ingots are forged in one forging heat which means energy savings and
reduced metal scaling loss; it also results in a higher efficiency of the forging process as
a whole.
The four-die forging devices are provided with a water cooling system intended to
supply coolant to the dies and friction units. Besides, each four-die forging device
incorporates an automatic lubrication system designed to supply lubricant to the friction
units and controlled from the main press control panel. A combination of the cooling
system and lubrication system ensures a long-time operation of the four-die forging
device, preventing friction units overheating and minimizing dies working surfaces
wearing-out.
Due to four-die reduction exerted on a blank in the four-die forging device the cross-
sectional enlargement is minimized or even eliminated, therefore less reduction and
turning cycles will be necessary to obtain a part of required shape. It means
respectively reduced energy costs for plastic deformation and increased efficiency of the
forging process.
Given below are the results of a comparative analysis of energy costs required for
plastic deformation involved in forging of 350 mm tool steel blanks on a 10 MN radial
forging machine, a 12.5MN hydraulic forging press with two dies and in a four-die
forging device.
With the same blank drawing coefficients energy consumption for plastic
deformation performed while forging in a four-die device is 1.5 times lower as
compared to forging on a radial forging machine and 3-4 times lower as compared to a
press with two dies.
Within 2005 – 2006 more than 20000 tons of ingots in weights of 5 tons, 7 tons and
10 tons in constructional and tool steels have been successfully forged on 20 MN
forging presses at OAO Tyazhpressmash.
Forging experience gained while using 20MN forging presses equipped with four-
die forging devices proves the following:
1. Forging operation output per hour in a four-die forging device is in average 2
times higher than that of a forging press equipped with two dies.
2. Metal yield when forging in a four-die forging device using the new technology
is 10-12 per cent increased.
3. 2 to 2,5 times reduced tolerances and 1,5 times reduced allowances for further
machining due to the forged parts precise sizing in the forging device thus
allowing to save from 40 to 50 kg of metal per 1 t of forged parts.
4. 25-39 per cent reduced gas consumption due to elimination of extra heating.

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 4. Four-die forging devices – an attached improvement for forging presses used
by OAO VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation and OAO Bummash
Our innovative radial forging technology used in four-die forging device was also
employed on a 20 MN press at OAO VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation (town of
Verkhnayay Salda, Russia). The hydraulic forging press is provided with the bottom oil
drive and is equipped with two manipulators and a quick tool change table. Arranged on
the table are two four-die forging devices with various die sets and a die with a cutter
designed to cut the forged parts.
The four-die forging devices employed at OAO VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation are
used for forging ingots and blanks in Ti-alloys. In accordance with the technology
developed at the Corporation the forging process includes two stages. At the first stage
an ingot is heated and forged in the first four-die forging device to receive an
intermediate round blank.
Introduction of radial forging technology used for production of ingots and blanks in
Ti-alloys shows that four-side reduction performed in the forging device results in
intensive deformation heating of metal which compensates for the heat loss to the
atmosphere.
Forging process in the first forging device is very intensive since in order to receive
an intermediate blank it is not necessary to ensure the end-point physical/mechanical
properties. Due to specially selected deformation modes ingots are forged in the first
forging device under conditions close to the isothermal ones.
Then blanks are forged at a lower temperature in the second forging device. At this
stage the required metal structure is formed ensuring the physical/mechanical properties
specified. For this stage the forging modes are selected so that the deformation doesn’t
result in excessive metal overheating.
The output of the forging process used for production of ingots in Ti-alloys has
increased 2 times in comparison with the conventional forging by two curved dies. Out-
of-roundness of the forged parts cross-section – a usual feature of a forged part
produced by means of two curved dies - was totally eliminated.
A four-dies forging device was also mounted on a 20 MN press at ОАО “Bummash”
(town of Izhevsk, Russia) designed for forging of ingots in weights from 7 up to 10t in
structural chrome-nickel, chrome-nickel-molybdenum, stainless and tool steels. Prior to
the forging device installation the hydraulic forging press was overhauled and updated.
As a result of the updating the operation of the press and two manipulators was
synchronized and the press automatic mode operation is now possible. The automatic
forging system can operate in accordance with a program developed both by process
engineers and programmers. To facilitate the operation of the servicing personnel the
press is equipped with video cameras which ensure good view of the forging device
working area.
The experience gained from employment of four-die forging devices at OAO
VSMPO-AVISMA Corporation and ОАО Bummash proved high efficiency of the
devices and reliability of this design.

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 5. Metal quality of forged parts
Influence of the forging technology on the carbide inhomogenity was examined on
175 mm blanks in tool steel. Chemical composition of the tool steel is as follows:

С Mo Si Mn V Cr
1,5 0,50 0,27 0,31 0,23 12,1

Blanks with dia. 175mm were forged from an 1,1 t ingot on the 10 MN radial-forging
machine Model SXP – 55. The blanks were heated up to 11600С. After that some blanks
were forged on the 3,4 MN radial-forging machine Model SXP-26 while the others
were forged in the four-dies forging device to produce forged parts with dia. 122 mm.
The macrostructure and microstructure studies of blanks and forged parts produced
using different technologies showed that there are no liquation under shrinkage area and
liquation square. Initial 175mm dia. blank features zonal carbide inhomogeneity which
is evaluated by “Boehler” scale (Аustria) in the marginal zone of the cross-section by
means of gages No. 32 and No. 33, and at the cross-section center by means of a gage
No. 35 (Fig. 6).

30
1

2
20

3
10

0 0 1/ 2R R
Distance from blank (forged part) C.L.

1-initial blank;
2, 3 – forged part produced on a radial-forging machine and on a
press equipped with a four-dies forging device, respectively.
Fig.6

Blank deformation with the same reduction ratio (reduction ratio 2) both on a radial-
forging machine and on a press in the four-die forging device has a different effect on
the zonal carbide inhomogeneity. In the surface layers both a radial-forging machine
and a press with a four-die forging device ensure essential decrease of carbide
inhomogeneity (Fig. 6). Trial between the radial-forging machine and the four-die
forging device demonstrates the advantages of the four-die forging device in the zone of

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taking samples for acceptance testing (in the middle of the radius) and in the center of
the cross-section. And –even more important - the carbide inhomogeneity through the
entire cross-section is at the same level. It demonstrates a uniform deep cast metal
penetration while deformation through the entire cross-section.
All the forged parts in diameters 270 to 500 mm produced from 5-10 t ingots on a
20 МН press in the four-die forging devices from OAO Tyazhpressmash were subjected
to the ultrasonic testing by means of portable devices Krautkramer USM35-X and
USK7S.
Forged parts proved to be in conformity with the requirements specified in SEP 1921
Class C/C (equivalent diameter of 5mm).
The metal quality of the forged parts conformed all the Customer’s requirements
specified for the nonmetallic inclusions, macrostructure and microstructure. The metal
of the forged parts demonstrated excellent mechanical properties presented in Table 2.

Table 2
Cross δ, KCU Microstruc
Reduction σа 2, Σв, Ψ,
Steel grade section, % J/cm2 ture,
ratio Мpа МPа %
mm (at –200С) Point
17Г1С* 310 5,1 470 690 28 64 98 7
17Г1С* 350 4,0 430 640 30 68 92 7
40ХМА** 390 3,2 730 890 19 43 92 Sorbite
18ХГ* 370 3,6 630 880 23 44 55 7
* - after normalization at 8600С; ** - after quenching at 8500С (oil) and tempering at
5800С.
6. Prospects of new automatic forging systems development
At present an automatic forging system based on a 12.5 MN (refer to Fig. 7 below) is
under development. The forging unit is intended to produce forged parts in a variety of
cross sections (both permanent and varying along the total length).

Fig. 7

The forging system consists of a forging press 1, manipulators 2 and 3, a movable

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 The four-die forging devices are intended to produce forged parts not only in round
cross sections, but also in rectangular cross-sections in a large variety of width and
height dimensions. The press is equipped with a brand-new hydraulic drive unit and an
electronic control system allowing to operate the press at a high rate – the press SPM
will be 1.5 to 2 times higher as compared to conventional presses. Tool changing will be
performed at a respective command from the control panel; it will take from 20 to 30
seconds. Two manipulators suitable to operate both in cycles and alternatively and also
respective supports designed to prevent forged part from bending serve to produce parts
with pre-set metal structure and properties in lengths up to 18 m. in one forging heat.
The press will be equipped with an automatic metal temperature monitoring system
interconnected with the forging modes control system. Thus forging operations in a
close temperature range will be ensured. The forging technology developed for this
press ensures high accuracy of forged parts: cross sectional tolerances shall be within 2
mm.
7. Final observations
Four-die forging devices represent a new technology based on the method of four-
side radial reduction. This technology and absolutely new design of the forging device
ensure not only high forging output and increased metal yield but also high metal
quality due to supplementary macro-shears and controlled wide range reductions of a
blank which are now possible. Long-term production practice trials at various
companies, on various presses and in various steels and alloys proved high
functionality of the forging design developed.
Implementation of this forging device allows to significantly improve capacities of a
conventional forging press thus making it a universal-purpose automatic forging
aggregate suitable to perform a wide range of operations. A forging aggregate of this
type can employ both the conventional free-forging technologies used on presses and
the most advanced radial forging technologies intended to produce forged parts of
round-, square-, rectangular- and also stepped cross sections.