Ijems 22 (6) 686-692
Ijems 22 (6) 686-692
Ijems 22 (6) 686-692
Plastic deformation analysis of wear on insert component and die service life in
hot forging process
R Rajieva* & P Sadagopanb
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bannari Amman Institute of Technology, Sathyamangalam 638 401, India
b
Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore 641 004, India
Received 18 July 2014; accepted 29 June 2015
One of the main critical problems in the hot forging process is the temperature rise in the die cavity and huge stresses
generated during forging operation which leads to die failure due to wear, deformation of die, cracks etc. In this study, wear
analysis is carried out in a die in local industry. The simulation of the forging process on the die and the work-piece is
carried out by using commercially available software (DEFORM). The flow of the material in the die, die filling, contact
pressure distribution, sliding velocities and temperature distribution of the die have been investigated. The depth of wear on
the die surface is evaluated using the finite element simulation and then the total wear depth was determined. By comparing
the numerical results with the measurement taken from the worn die, the wear coefficient is evaluated at different locations
of the die surface and finally an average value of wear coefficient is suggested.
Keywords: Hot forging, Finite Element analysis, Wear model, Wear coefficient.
Forging is defined as the process in which a metal thermal softening of hot forging dies. This thermal
billet or blank is shaped by tools or dies with softening effect accelerates die failures. The limiting
application of temperature and pressure. Castro et al.1 factors of die service life can occur simultaneously or
presented that the forging dies are metal blocks separately during hot forging process. Dehghani and
having cavities so shaped as to impart the desired Jafari3 described about wear as a loss of dimension
shape to a metal work-piece when they are brought between two sliding surfaces and it is related to
together. The dies have to be made by modern interactions between surfaces and more specifically
manufacturing methods from appropriate die the removal and deformation of material on a surface
materials in order to provide acceptable die life at a as a result of mechanical action of the opposite
reasonable cost. Often the economic success of a surface. Plastic deformation such as yield stress is
forming process depends on die life and die costs excluded from the wear definition if it doesn't
per piece produced. Die wear is predominantly due to incorporate a relative sliding motion and contact
material removal from the die surface by pressure and against another surface.
sliding of the deforming material. Wear resistance of Brucelle and Bernhart4 and Persson et al.5
the die material, die surface temperature, relative discussed about the high work-piece temperatures and
sliding speed at the die material interface and the high contact pressures during the forging process that
nature of the interface layer are the most significant lead to large mechanical, thermal softening, wear and
factors influencing abrasive die wear. Dai et al.2 plastic deformation of dies. Kim et al.6 indicated that
indicated that proper selection of the die material and when the initial die temperature is high, the
of the die manufacturing technique determines, to a temperature difference between die and work-piece
large extent, the useful life of forming dies. Dies may becomes small, and this small temperature difference
have to be replaced for a number of reasons, such as assists the metal flow. Long contact time between dies
changes in dimensions due to wear or plastic and deforming materials at high temperature induce
deformation, deterioration of the surface finish, thermal softening of hot forging tools. This thermal
breakdown of lubrication, and cracking or breakage. softening decreases resistance to wear or plastic
The surface hardness of a die decreases owing to the deformation. Tercelj et al.7 investigated that the initial
________________ temperature of die, heat transfer between the die and
*Corresponding author (E-mail: [email protected]) the material under deformation and the material and
RAJIEV & SADAGOPAN: HOT FORGING PROCESS 687
∆L= θ × ∆t … (2)
where sliding velocity (mm/s) at time increment ∆t.
The Eq. (1) can be re-written using Eq. (2) which is
shown in Eq. (3) Fig. 1 – Insert component dimensions
688 INDIAN J. ENG. MATER. SCI., DECEMBER 2015
distribution and velocity of metal flow. Venkatesan and dies were modeled in CATIA V5 and meshed in
et al.15 in their study used the commercially available the software. Tetrahedral mesh type was used in this
software for finding out the die wear. In a similar simulation; this mesh type was assigned
manner, in this study commercially available software automatically by the software using automatic mesh
is used to establish die wear. The parameters like generator. In the software, the objects were
work-piece and die materials, forging machine, positioned manually by using positioning option.
forging temperature are kept the same in all the Drag option was used to drag the dies and work-
simulations using friction wear model. Work-piece piece to position. The alignment of the dies with the
work-piece and initial position of them is shown in
Fig. 5. During simulation die filling at different
stages of insert is shown in Fig. 6.
Fig. 2 – (a) Upper die dimensions and (b) Lower die dimensions Fig. 5 – Position of die and work piece in initial contact
Fig. 7 – Wear depth (mm) for k =1x10-12 Pa-1 in one cycle Fig. 8 – Wear depth (mm) in seven hundred cycles
of forging of forging
690 INDIAN J. ENG. MATER. SCI., DECEMBER 2015
discrepancies between these two which is in to 27.35×10-13 Pa-1 and the average value of wear
agreement with the work done by Yiping13 . coefficient is found to be 9.39×10-13 Pa-1. Wear
From the measured values of the depth of wear at analysis was done using the said evaluated average
different locations of the die, new values of wear value of k, and new worn out profile was obtained.
coefficient were calculated using Eq. (6). Figure 11 shows the comparison between worn die
profile obtained by simulation using the average
d true
k= n
… (6) value of wear coefficient k=9.39 × 10 -13 Pa-1 and
∑1 (Pi . θi .∆ti ). worn die profile measured by CMM. It is noted that
the theoretical estimation is in good agreement with
Figure 10 shows the dimensional wear coefficient actual measurement and justifies in using the average
values evaluated at different points in the upper die evaluated wear coefficient of 9.39×10-13 Pa-1 for die
cavity using Eq. (6) and it varies from 0.98×10-13 Pa-1 wear analysis in a similar fashion as reported by
Rodrigues and Martin17.
Fig. 10 – Dimensional wear coefficients evaluated at different Fig. 12 Effective stresses versus time at 150ºC die preheating
points in the upper die cavity temperature
Fig. 11 – Comparison between worn die profile for k=9.39 x 10-13 Pa-1 and worn die profile Measured by CMM
RAJIEV & SADAGOPAN: HOT FORGING PROCESS 691
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7 Tercelj M, Turk R & Knap M, Appl Therm Eng, 23 (2003)
value of dimensional wear coefficient of k=1×10-12 Pa-1
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measured with CMM, wear coefficient at those wear resistant surfaces for hot Forging, Ph.D Thesis, Ohio
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coefficient is obtained as 9.39 × 10 -13 Pa-1. This value 11 Cui Junjia, Lei Chengxi, Xing Zhongwen & Li Chunfeng,
may be useful for die wear estimation and hence the Mater Sci Eng, 535 (2012) 241-251.
life of die during design stage for components similar 12 Doddamani M R & Uday M, Int J Eng Innovat Technol, 1
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13 Yiping Y Zhao, J Forg Technol, 6 (2000) 43-47.
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