Dimensional errors of cold formed components using FE simulation

The effects of material properties, elastic–plastic behaviour and temperature variations of the workpiece and tools on the dimensional errors of cold formed components are investigated in this paper. A finite element (FE) analysis procedure has been developed to predict component dimensional errors during different stages of the cold forming process. During an entire cold forming cycle for a forward extruded rod, the material deformation, heat generation, temperature distribution, and tool stress and deflections are evaluated. The dimensional errors of the formed component are also obtained, which enables a quantitative evaluation of the dimensional errors of the extruded rod. The effects of forming stages, material type, die deflections, friction, and thermal behaviour on the component dimensional errors are investigated.