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AN ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRIAL FORGING PROCESS OF FLANGE IN ORDER TO REDUCE THE WEIGHT OF THE INPUT
MATERIAL
ANALIZA PRZEMYSŁOWEGO PROCESU KUCIA ODKUWKI KOŁNIERZA W CELU ZMNIEJSZENIA MASY MATERIAŁU
WSADOWEGO
This paper presents an analysis of the industrial process of hot forging a flange. The authors developed several ther-
momechanical models of the forging process for which they carried out computer simulations using the MSC.Marc 2013
software. In the Jawor Forge flanges with a neck are manufactured by hot forging in crank presses with a maximum load of
25 MN. The input material, in the form of a square bar, is heated up to a temperature of 1150◦ C and then formed in three
operations: upsetting, preliminary die forging and finishing die forging. The main aim of the studies and the numerical analyses,
in which the geometry of the tools would be modified, was to maximally reduce the amount of the input material taking into
account the capabilities of the Jawor Forge, and consequently to significantly reduce the production costs. Besides the Forge’s
equipment resources, the main constraint for modifications was the flange-with-neck forging standard which explicitely defines
the tolerances for this element. The studies, which included numerical modelling, infrared measurements and technological
tests, consisted in changing the geometry of the tools and that of the forging preform. As a result, the optimum direction for
modifications aimed at reducing the mass of the input material was determined. The best of the solutions, making it possible
to produce a correct forging in the Jawor Forge operating conditions, were adopted whereby the weight of the preform was
reduced by 6.11%. Currently research is underway aimed at the application of the proposed and verified modifications to other
flange forgings.
Keywords: numerical modeling, forging, optimisation
Artykuł dotyczy analizy przemysłowego procesu kucia matrycowego na gorąco odkuwki typu kołnierz. Autorzy publikacji
opracowali szereg modeli termomechanicznych procesu kucia, dla których przeprowadzili symulacje komputerowe z zastoso-
waniem oprogramowania MSC.Marc 2013. Przemysłowy proces wytwarzania kołnierzy z szyjką w kuźni Jawor wykonuje się
metodą kucia na gorąco na prasach korbowych pracujących z maksymalnym obciążeniem 25 MN. Materiał wsadowy w postaci
pręta kwadratowego jest nagrzewany do temperatury 1150◦ C i następnie kształtowany z wykorzystaniem trzech operacji –
spęczania, matrycowania wstępnego oraz matrycowania wykańczającego. Głównym celem przeprowadzanych badań i analiz
numerycznych polegających na modyfikacji geometrii narzędzi było jak największe ograniczenie wielkości materiału wsadowego
przy jednoczesnym uwzględnieniu możliwości technologiczno-technicznych Kuźni Jawor. Miało to pozwolić na znaczącą reduk-
cję kosztów produkcji. Za największy ogranicznik przeprowadzanych modyfikacji poza parkiem maszynowym zakładu przyjęto
normę kucia kołnierzy z szyjką, która w jednoznaczny sposób definiuje tolerancje wykonywanego elementu. Przeprowadzone
badania polegające na zmianie geometrii narzędzi i przedkuwki, obejmujące modelowanie numeryczne, pomiary termowizyjne
oraz próby technologiczne pozwoliły określić optymalny kierunek wprowadzanych modyfikacji procesu umożlwiający redukcję
masy materiału wsadowego. Przyjęcie przez autorów najlepszego z możliwych do uzyskania w warunkach Kuźnia Jawor
rozwiązań pozwoliło na zmniejszenie masy wstępniaka o 6,11% w stosunku do masy wyjściowej. Obecnie trwają dalsze prace
badawcze związane z przełożeniem zaproponowanych i zweryfikowanych zmian na inne odkuwki kołnierzowe.
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properties [1, 7]. Today IT tools based on computer simula- of the forging process. A 3D model and Tetra 4 elements were
tion play a major role in the design of not only engineering used in the simulation, which was divided into three stages
constructions, but also industrial processes. As the power of corresponding to the particular operations.
computing machines increases, software based on advanced
numerical methods, such as the finite element method, has
considerably developed in recent years [3, 5, 9, 12, 14, 15].
Today there is a relatively wide choice of software dedicated
to nonlinear problems, such as the plastic deformation of met-
als. The computer programs become indispensable tools for
engineers and can contribute to the improvement of the exist-
ing technological solutions. Thanks to the use of FEM-based
computing software packages by process and design engineers
the latter can quickly analyze forging processes and determine Fig. 2. Shape of forging after particular forging operations: a) upset-
their key features, such as: the distribution of stress and strain, ting, b) preliminary die forging c) finishing die forging
the way the material flows and the process force parameters.
Today forging plants in collaboration with scientific and re- The tools were assumed as stiff bodies with constant tem-
search centres (equipped with much more advanced IT tools perature of 300◦ C and according to symmetry of process the
and laboratories) can optimize their industrial processes not analysis was limited to 1/8 of the model. The constant friction
only to make them more efficient and to improve the quality factor of 0.35 has been assumed based on author experience.
of the forgings, but also to lower the production costs. Heat transfer coefficient between workpiece and tool has been
set to 20000 W/(m2 *K) and between workpiece and environ-
ment to 35 W/(m2 *K). Such factors as: the temperature of the
2. Description of process material, the plastic strains in the forging, the load of the press,
the shape of the flash and the filling of the die impressions,
The hot forging of a flange with a Ø80 neck was select- were taken into consideration.
ed to be studied. Flange Ø80 is typical axisymmetrical part Figure 3 shows load press versus press slide for the par-
used to connect pipes. Forging part drawing with exemplary ticular operations obtained in modelling. During preliminary
dimensions has been show on Figure 1. forging and finishing forging the press forces increase sharply
at the final moment of filling the die impression, reaching 25
MN. In the case of upsetting, the increase is much gentler and
it does not exceed 3 MN. It is apparent from the diagram that
the forces do not significantly exceed the maximum load of
crank press, which means that the original process has been
correctly designed for the press with a nominal force of 25
MN. The characteristic raggedness of the upper part of the
diagram at the maximum load is due to the use a remeshing
algorithm.
Fig. 1. Final forging with exemplary dimensions
3. Numerical modelling of analyzed process Also the distribution of the temperature in the forging was
modelled and towards the end of the second operation a con-
Computer simulations were run, using the MSC MARC siderable cooling was observed in the lower part of the neck
2013 software, in order to determine the principal parameters (the area marked in Fig. 4), where the temperature reaches
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540◦ C. It was found that the drop in temperature may signif- ually and it was analyzed how each of them changed the forg-
icantly contribute to the increase in the forces in the second ing conditions. Figure 6 schematically shows the original and
and third operations and result in the incomplete filling of the modified profiles of the impressions of the tools used for pre-
die impression. This was confirmed by observations of the real liminary forging and finishing forging.
forgings in which underfills would occur in those places.
Fig. 10. Comparison of press load versus distance from bottom dead
centre for preliminary die forging (a) and finishing die forging (b) in
third stage of modification
Fig. 11. Thermogram from thermal imaging camera after particular forging operations: a) upsetting, b) preliminary die forging c) finishing
die forging
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In the tests full tool impression filling was obtained for to carry out a verification, which confirmed the satisfactory
each of the preform masses. Moreover, no other irregularities effectiveness of the modifications. Full filling of the die im-
(e.g. material jamming) were found. The shape of the flanges pression was obtained for each of the masses.
with a flash after the second and third operation is compared Still, many important factors, such as the stresses gen-
in Fig. 12. erated in the tools and the wear of the latter, were not taken
into account. The modelling and the tests merely indicated the
direction of the introduced modifications is correct. In order
to fully validate the modifications they need to be implement-
ed in the actual manufacturing process and then their mass
production effect should be analyzed.
Currently research is underway aimed at the further mod-
ification of the process, using the Rozenbrock optimization
method, and at the application of the proposed and verified
modifications to other flange forgings.
Acknowledgements
Fig. 12. Comparison of shape of upper part of flange with flash after This research has been funded under the project entitled: “De-
second operation (top row) and third operation for for every mass velopment and implementation of precise forging in Jawor Forge
lowering (in kilograms) PLC” being carried out under priority 1 – Research and development
of modern technologies, Measure 1.3 – Support for R&D projects for
The dimensional and shape examination of the finished entrepreneurs carried out by scientific entities, Submeasure 1.3.1 –
product revealed that in some cases a burr had formed in Development projects, the Operational Programme Innovative Econ-
the upper part of the flange neck, probably as a result of the omy, in the years 2007-2013, co-funded from the European Regional
lowering of the bottom (leading to material burring during die Development Fund.
shearing, Fig. 13). But this defect does not affect the quality of
the product and it would occur also in the “original process”
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