Parametric sensitivity analyses for FEA of hot steel forging

This paper reports a system for quantifying and comparing the sensitivity of a thermomechanical finite element analysis (FEA) of forging to variations in different input parameters. The results of applying the method to analyses of simple upsetting, impression-die forging and backward extrusion of hot steel are also described. The number of parameters in a thermomechanical FEA of forging make it impractical to investigate all of them, so the investigations were restricted to the parameters that define the flow stress of the forged steel and heat transfer and friction at the die–workpiece interface. Theoretical forging investigations of the kind described should be compared with the results of physical forging trials. This comparison would indicate whether or not more work characterising parameters for FEA of forging were justified.