Automated sequence design for slab stretching with arbitrary height distribution using one-step FEM analysis

A new intelligent forging method for slab is proposed in this paper. In order to realize intelligent and flexible free forging of the product with a smaller lot, an automatic forging sequence design (AFSD) system is installed in the proposed free forging. For the given geometry of the product, the automatic forging sequence design system designs and optimizes the press motion referring to the plastic deformation during free forging, obtained by one-step rigid–plastic FEM analysis. The developed system is applied to the stretch forging of slab with constrained length of product, and the press motion to forge products into the desired height distribution in the longitudinal direction is successfully designed. The automatically designed forging sequence is transferred to a free forging press, and the product geometry after the free forging experiment is validated by comparing the experimentally forged geometry and the desired geometry of the product. Through such investigation, it becomes clear that the proposed system is usable to design the free forging sequence automatically to forge a slab into a product with an arbitrary height distribution. Although this investigation is focusing on a two-dimensional forging problem such as stretch forging, the basic achievement could be used for the automatic design of three-dimensional free forging, if three-dimensional one-step FEM analysis is installed in the proposed system.