Application of computer methods to the design and analysis of precision rib-web forgings

Abstract The flow behavior of metals under processing conditions is characterized by the relationship between the flow stress and the processing variables, namely, the temperature, the strain rate, and the strain. Hot, isothermal, constant-strain-rate compression tests were conducted to generate flow-stress data for Al 2024-0. A rigid-viscoplastic finite-element code, Alpid , was used to simulate the closed-die, flashless, near-net-shape isothermal forging of a rib-web section, viz., a T-section. The metal-flow behavior was studied by examining the distribution of effective strain, strain rate, and stress. Flow lines were generated using Alpid and compared with those in macro-etched sections of forged components. Regions prone to shear-band formation were identified using flow-net grids and verified by optical microscopy of the forged sections. The analytical values of forging loads were compared with those measured experimentally.