Load analysis and life prediction of key components of high-speed press based on virtual prototyping

High-speed presses are forging machines which are extensively used in industrial production. The load analysis of the high-speed press’ key components is the base for the strength and reliability design. The crankshaft and connecting rod are the structural components with the most violent movement and the heaviest load, so they are the key components of the high-speed press. It is difficult to get the load on the crankshaft and the connecting rod because of the heavy load, the high rotation speed of the transmission system, and its complex structure. The simulation model (also called the virtual prototyping) can simulate real operating conditions, and then obtain a detailed time history of the load. This paper proposes a dynamic simulation model of the high-speed press that can conduct the multibody dynamic simulation and get the simulation load spectrum of the key structural components. Then, the simulation model is corrected based on the field test data to make the load spectrum from the virtual prototyping accurate. Finally the fatigue life of the key structural components is discussed under the load spectrum obtained by the corrected virtual prototyping simulation.