Optimal Die Shape and Ram Velocity Design for Metal Forging

A primary objective in metal forming is designing the geometry of the workpiece and dies in order to achieve a part with a given shape and microstructure. This problem is usually handled by extensive trial and error—using simulations, or test forgings, or both—until an acceptable final result is obtained. The goal of this work is to apply optimization techniques to this problem. Expensive function evaluations make computational efficiency of prime importance. As a practical matter, off-the-shelf software is used for both process modeling and optimization. While this approach makes it possible to put together a working package relatively quickly, it brings several problems of its own. The algorithm is applied to a example of real current interest—the forging of an automobile engine valve from a high performance material—with some success.