FE–Analysis of Simultaneous Hot/Cold Forging

A new, highly innovative manufacturing method is under development in research and industry, where the workpiece undergoes simultaneously a hot and a cold forging process followed by press hardening directly in the forging dies. Such a high complex forging technology is simulated by means of the finite element method, where the inductive electrical heating is modelled with substitute sources for the heat production besides the forming and the cooling process with thermal deformation and eigenstress evolution. The measured data for the temperature field and the final geometry of the forging test are compared to the results of the simulation, showing a very good agreement.