Objective
Objectives and content The manufacture of engineering components for the aerospace, automotive and consumer-goods industries is often initiated by forging; increasingly, the demand is for the primary-conversion of raw material into a forging which replicates the nett-form of the component. The forging of components to close tolerances for these industries has been achieved at substantially higher cost as these have to be produced with dies which are manufactured from high-performance steels, with pre-stressing and surface treatments. The need for these additional features and treatments arises from the need to contain the higher abrasive stresses in the die and, consequently, higher forging forces which are encountered when nett-forging of engineering components.
Solution: An alternative approach, to the addition of the special features, would be to reduce the die-surface stresses in critical sections of the die; this can be achieved by the application of die-surface excitation. A reduction of forging forces by 40% has been demonstrated by the University of Strathclyde; this would result in a corresponding increase in the life of nett-forging dies by, at least an order, thus establishing a more viable alternative to the current approach. Proposal: Research will be conducted, initially, to define a system for the simulation of excitation, which would enable rapid assessment of the geometrical aspects of die-design for surface excitation. Further an approach will be developed to support the economic evaluation of die-surface excitation; this will rely on FE techniques which will be initialised using friction data from Physical Modelling experiments. Both the above assessments would have to rely on clear definitions of the technology of die-surface excitation; this will be defined by a mixture of technical/modelling analysis of the influence of excitation on friction.
The analysis will cover a comprehensive range of both, excitation and friction parameters and will form a complete set of data on the influence of excitation on friction under bulk de In the final stage of the research, the methodology for the design of forging operation with surface will be defined this will rely on flow diagrams of the sequence of considerations for die design for surface-excitation and draw on the experimental data which will be quantified in graphical form and in nomograms. This methodology will form the basis of the subsequent industrial research project for the development of a design-support system.
Benefits: While die-excitation will be achieved at a cost which cumulates on costs incurred in conventional forging, the key benefit will derive from the reduction of friction; the expectation is that the increased cost of excitation, which would be due largely to increased cost of energy, would be more than compensated for by the increase in tool-life. Most of the additional equipment which are required to effect excitation are reusable.
The following benefits will accrue form the use of surface excitation for forging:
- smaller forging presses could be used, thereby reducing capital costs by up to 35%;
- smaller number of stages for the forging of high strength materials;
- typically, reduction in die costs would be, at least 15%. However die production costs may increase by the same amount;
- die-life would increase by an order, if forging forces are reduced by 40%;
- reduction in the investment in die-production machinery by 15%;
- nett-forming without the need for additional die features and treatments to tools which are currently effected with increased lead-time to manufacture.
Market: The market for services, in the application of excitation of die-surfaces will upon completion of the proposed programme, be 250 kECU per annum; this will increase to S MECU/annum when the design-support system is ready for marketing. Consortium: The research consortium will be lead by the University of Strathclyde (STR), which has a track record in the nett-forming of engineering materials into industrial components.
The research will be supported by the Technical University of Denmark, which have an excellent research presence in friction analysis and physical modelling, both of which are essential requirements for the project. Three industries were selected to assume essential role within the project. Pascoe Engineering is a precision tool-maker, Ferroperm is a bespoke manufacturer of piezo-excitors and Allied Signals is a forging organisation which manufactures high-precision components from high-strength materials. Each industry expects to derive a direct benefit by participating in the project BE97-4208.
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Coordinator
G1 1XJ Glasgow
United Kingdom
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