Induction heating is one of the efficient and modern technique for heating raw materials for hot forging process. The induction heating furnaces use electro-magnetic field to transfer energy to the metal workpiece and heat is generated inside the material. The magnetic field can be provided by using induction coil. The power supplied to induction coil, the moving speed of the billet that is called conveyor speed and the coil box hole diameter are the factors affecting the resultant temperature of the heated billet. In this study, AISI 1045 type steel billets with a diameter of &Oslash / 30 mm and length of 100 mm have been heated in a particular induction heater. During heating, effects of different levels of power, conveyor speed and the coil boxes with different hole diameters are investigated. The 125 KW 3000 Hz induction heater which is available in METU-BILTIR Research and Application Center Forging Laboratory is used in experiments. The heating experiments are designed according to 23 Factorial Design of Experiment Method. Multiple linear regression technique is used to derive a mathematical formula to predict the temperature of the heated billet. A good correlation between the measured temperatures that are the results of different sets of induction heating parameters and the predicted temperatures that are calculated by using temperature prediction formula has been observed.

In forging industry, the die setup starts with unloading the previous die set and ends with approval of the first part produced. During conventional die setup, forging press is kept idle. The aim of this study is to perform die changing applications of the 1000 ton forging press of Aksan Steel Forging Company in more systematic way to reduce the idle time. The applicability of Single Minute Exchange of Dies (SMED) System and quick die locating methods have been studied. SMED classifies the setup operations as internal and external setup operations. During the internal setup operations the press is kept idle. Therefore it has been tried to reduce the internal setup time. In this study, a new modular die system has been developed. The die system to be used for the forging press with 1000 ton capacity in Aksan Steel Forging Company has been redesigned regarding the dimensional limitations, requirements, SMED System and quick die locating methods. The modules of proposed die system and the dies for a particular forging part have been produced. Tests, observations and time studies have been carried out. The time spent for alignment of the upper and lower dies on the press have been eliminated in the proposed system. The solutions have been proposed for the frequently encountered problems of setup operations of the company and these have been applied in the system. In order to eliminate operator mistakes, marking applications have also been introduced and the application of die cavity revision has been renewed. During the time studies for the case study, it has been seen that the internal setup time of the forging press with 1000 ton capacity has been reduced from 220 minutes to 141 minutes which corresponds to a reduction of 36 %.

Forging is a manufacturing process which is preferred among the others in that, the final product shows more enhanced properties. The properties of the final product are directly related with the material used in the forging process. Main parameters such as forging temperature, number of stages, preform design, dimensions of the billet, etc. may be affected by the forging material. Alloys are one of the main areas of interest in the forging industry. The use of alloy steels may bring superior properties, especially in terms of strength and forgeability. In this study, three different alloy steels, which are hot forged in industry have been examined. The flow of the material, stress distribution, die filling and the effects of the process parameters on the forging have been investigated. Three industrial forging parts / M20 and M30 eye bolts and a runner block have been studied. Finite Volume Analysis of the forging process has been performed for carbon steels / C45 and C60 and alloy steels / a stainless steel X20Cr13, a heattreatable alloy steel, 42CrMo4 and a bearing steel, 100Cr6. The results of the simulations have been compared with the findings of the experiments carried out in a forging company. It has been observed that numerical and experimental results are in good agreement.

Producing axi-symmetrical parts with holes from tubular stock by tube upsetting is a frequently used technique in industry. There are basically four types of tube upsetting process / external, internal, simultaneous internal and external upsetting, and expanding of tube. In general, tubular parts require more than one upsetting stage. In industry, generally trial-error methods, which require lots of time and effort depending on experience, are used for the design of stages. Wrong design causes failures during production. On the other hand, the problems, which are likely to be encountered in manufacturing, can be observed and solved in the design stage by using finite element analysis. In this study, the finite element analyses of external, internal, simultaneous internal and external tube upsetting, and tube expanding processes have been realized. During the analyses, the part and the die geometries at the intermediate stages, which have been designed according to the proposed procedures, have been used. The stress and strain distributions and die filling actions have been observed during the process. The process design and die geometries have been evaluated according to the finite element results. It has been seen that the recommended procedures generally generate acceptable designs. In some cases, it has been noted that minor modifications may be required on the design.

WEAR ANALYSIS OF HOT FORGING DIES ABACHI, Siamak M. S., Department of Mechanical Engineering Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Metin AKK&Ouml / K Co-Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Mustafa lhan G&Ouml / KLER December 2004, 94 pages The service lives of dies in forging processes are to a large extent limited by wear, fatigue fracture and plastic deformation, etc. In hot forging processes, wear is the predominant factor in the operating lives of dies. In this study, the wear analysis of a closed die at the final stage of a hot forging process has been realized. The preform geometry of the part to be forged was measured by Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM), and the CAD model of the die and the worn die were provided by the particular forging company. The hot forging operation was carried out at a workpiece temperature of 1100&deg / C and die temperature of 300&deg / C for a batch of 678 on a 1600-ton mechanical press. The die and the workpiece materials were AISI L6 tool steel and DIN 1.4021, respectively. The simulation of forging process for the die and the workpiece was carried out by Finite Volume Method using MSC.SuperForge. The flow of the material in the die, die filling, contact pressure distribution, sliding velocities and temperature distribution of the die have been investigated. In a single stroke, the depth of wear was evaluated using Archard&rsquo / s wear equation with a constant wear coefficient of 1&yen / 10-12 Pa-1 as an initial value. The depth of wear on the die surface in every step has been evaluated using the Finite Volume simulation results and then the total depth of wear was determined. To be able to compare the wear analysis results with the experimental worn die, the surface measurement of the worn die has been done on CMM. By comparing the numerical results of the die wear analysis with the worn die measurement, the dimensional wear coefficient has been evaluated for different points of the die surface and finally a value of dimensional wear coefficient is suggested. As a result, the wear coefficient was evaluated as 6.5&yen / 10-13 Pa-1 and considered as a good approximation to obtain the wear depth and the die life in hot forging processes under similar conditions.

Forging is a metal forming process commonly used in industry. Forging process is strongly affected by the process temperature. In hot forging process, a wide range of materials can be used and even complex geometries can be formed. However in cold forging, only low carbon steels as ferrous material with simple geometries can be forged and high capacity forging machinery is required. Warm forging compromise the advantages and disadvantages of hot and cold forging processes. In warm forging process, a product having better tolerances can be produced compared to hot forging process and a large range of materials can be forged compared to cold forging process. In this study, forging of a particular part which is being produced by hot forging at 1200&deg / C for automotive industry and have been made of 1020 carbon steel, is analyzed by the finite volume analysis software for a temperature range of 850-1200&deg / C. Experimental study has been conducted for the same temperature range in a forging company. A good agreement for the results has been observed.

São realizados estudos termodinâmicos de nitretos, carbonetos e carbonitretos dos microelementos V, Nb, Al e Ti, utilizando bancos de dados computacionais do programa FactSage, com finalidade de verificar seus potenciais como inibidores do crescimento do grão na faixa de temperatura do processo de forjamento a quente dos aços. Um procedimento para verificação da solubilidade dos compostos dos microelementos por meio do FactSage foi desenvolvido e foram estudadas situações mais complexas e menos abordadas na literatura, tais como o efeito combinado de dois microelementos no aço e o estudo do comportamento dos carbonitretos em altas temperaturas com variantes do porcentual de carbono e nitrogênio. Os estudos demonstraram que os nitretos com presença de titânio possuem elevada estabilidade em altas temperaturas e, por isso, são potencialmente muito efetivos no controle do crescimento do grão. Alguns carbonetos com presença de nióbio apresentam também uma boa estabilidade em altas temperaturas, assim como os carbonitretos desses dois elementos. Foi verificada uma boa correlação dos produtos de solubilidade obtidos tanto por métodos experimentais como por cálculos termodinâmicos apresentados pela literatura, bem como a valiosa contribuição do software para estudos de precipitação e dissolução de carbonetos, nitretos e carbonitretos na austenita, permitindo auxiliar na seleção de aços e/ou modificação da composição de aços convencionais por meio da adição de microelementos juntamente com uma escolha apropriada de porcentuais de nitrogênio e/ou carbono, quando se busca controlar o crescimento do grão em altas temperaturas. Os resultados obtidos podem auxiliar de forma indireta nos estudos de eliminação de tratamentos térmicos convencionais, seja pelo uso de aços microligados com resfriamento controlado, seja pelo uso de aços convencionais de baixa liga temperados logo após forjamento, permitindo, assim, uma redução dos custos globais das peças. Além dessas considerações, os resultados apresentados e a técnica desenvolvida podem também ser úteis em outras áreas em que seja importante o controle do crescimento do grão, tais como laminação a quente e cementação em alta temperatura. / Thermodynamics studies of nitrides, carbides and carbonitrides of the micro elements V, Nb, Al and Ti were performed using the FactSage program databases, in order to verify their potential for grain growth inhibition in a range of temperatures of hot forged steels. A procedure to verify the solubility of compounds of the micro elements was developed by means of FactSage, and it was studied complex states less discussed in literature, such as the combined effect of two micro elements in steel and the behavior of carbonitrides at high temperatures, varying carbon and nitrogen contents. The studies demonstrate that the nitrides with Titanium have high stability in austenite at elevated temperatures: therefore they are potentially highly effective in grain size control. Carbides with Niobium also present effective stability at high temperatures, as well as the carbonitrides of these two elements. A good correlation was verified between the solubility product obtained either by experimental methods, or by thermodynamics calculation presented by literature. Also, a valuable contribution is made by the software in the studies of precipitation and dissolution of nitrides, carbides and carbonitrides in austenite; thus aiding the selection of steels, and/or modification of the chemical composition of standardized steels, by means of adding micro elements; and providing a suitable choice of carbon and nitrogen content when one seeks to control the grain growth at elevated temperatures. Such results can help indirectly in the studies eliminating conventional heat treatment methods, by using micro alloyed steels with controlled cooling and low alloy steels quenched after forging, with overall reducing costs. Besides these considerations, the results presented and the developed procedure can be useful in other areas where grain growth is an important factor, such as in hot rolling and carburizing at high temperature.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido como parte das atividades relacionadas ao projeto de cooperação internacional Brasil-Alemanha intitulado "Bulk metal formed parts for power plants" pertencente ao BRAGECRIM (Iniciativa Brasil-Alemanha para Pesquisa Colaborativa em Tecnologia de Manufatura), realizado em parceria entre o Laboratório de Transformação Mecânica (LdTM) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul e o Instituto de Conformação Mecânica (IBF) da Universidade Técnica de Aachen (RWTH), Alemanha. Este projeto visa o desenvolvimento do processo de forjamento a quente em matriz aberta para a produção de um eixo vazado para aplicação em aerogeradores de energia, em substituição à eixos maciços usualmente obtidos por fundição, visando aumento de desempenho mecânico e redução de peso da estrutura. Neste trabalho buscou-se analisar, por meio de simulação numérica computacional empregando o método de elementos finitos, diferentes parâmetros de forjamento, de modo a indicar a configuração operacional que se mostra mais adequada para a produção de um eixo vazado para a aplicação pretendida. Para isto, foram realizados cinco experimentos numéricos, avaliando a influência de parâmetros de forjamento na qualidade do produto forjado. Alguns parâmetros analisados foram: a sequência operacional de forjamento, geometrias e combinações de matrizes utilizadas industrialmente, razão de mordida, etc. Para as simulações termomecânicas foi utilizado o software de Elementos Finitos PEP/Larstran acoplado ao módulo de simulação de microestrutura Strucsim. O material utilizado nas simulações foi o aço DIN 42CrMo4 (AISI 4140). Os resultados mostraram que, dentre as diferentes combinações e geometrias de matrizes analisadas, o emprego de um par de matrizes côncavas, aplicando a sequência operacional-A analisada, tende a propiciar um produto de mais alta qualidade, promovendo maior uniformidade de deformação e microestrutura mais homogênea. Também, a razão de mordida influencia diretamente na qualidade do produto, sendo que uma razão de mordida na ordem de 0,6 induz graus de deformação maiores e mais profundos na peça forjada, ao mesmo tempo em que exige maiores cargas de conformação. Comparativos entre resultados da simulação e resultados experimentais de ensaios de compressão a quente de corpos de prova cilíndricos foram realizados para validação do software de simulação numérica. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que o software de simulação numérica pode prever com boa aproximação o fluxo de material e a evolução microestrutural durante o forjamento a quente do aço DIN 42CrMo4. / This work was developed as a part of the activities related to the international cooperation project between Brazil and Germany titled "Bulk formed metal parts for power plants" belonging to BRAGECRIM (Brazil-Germany Initiative for Collaborative Research in Manufacturing Technology). This project is in partnership between the Metal Forming Laboratory (LdTM) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Institute of Metal Forming (IBF), from Technical University of Aachen (RWTH), Germany. The project aims the development of an open die forging process to produce a hollow shaft for application in wind turbines, replacing the solid shafts usually obtained by casting, in order to increase the mechanical performance and providing weight reduction to wind turbines. The present work aimed to analyze different forging parameters, using Finite Element Method, in order to indicate most suitable forging configuration to the production of a hollow shaft. Five numerical experiments were performed, evaluating the influence of various forging parameters on the quality of the forged product, such as the forging sequence, tool geometries and tool combinations and bite ratio. For thermomechanical simulations the Finite Element software PEP/Larstran was used, coupled to the microstructure simulation module Strucsim. The material used for the numerical simulations was the DIN 42CrMo4 steel (AISI 4140). The results showed that, among the different parameters analyzed, the use of concave dies, applying the operational sequence-A, tends to provide a forged with higher quality, promoting uniform strain distribution and homogeneous microstructure. Also, results showed that a bite ratio around 0,6 provides higher and deeper strain degrees, but requires higher forming loads. Hot compression tests using cylindrical specimens were performed to validate the numerical simulation software, including microstructure evolution. Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed that the numerical simulation software can predict with good approximation the material flow and microstructure evolution during hot forging for DIN 42CrMo4 steel.

São realizados estudos termodinâmicos de nitretos, carbonetos e carbonitretos dos microelementos V, Nb, Al e Ti, utilizando bancos de dados computacionais do programa FactSage, com finalidade de verificar seus potenciais como inibidores do crescimento do grão na faixa de temperatura do processo de forjamento a quente dos aços. Um procedimento para verificação da solubilidade dos compostos dos microelementos por meio do FactSage foi desenvolvido e foram estudadas situações mais complexas e menos abordadas na literatura, tais como o efeito combinado de dois microelementos no aço e o estudo do comportamento dos carbonitretos em altas temperaturas com variantes do porcentual de carbono e nitrogênio. Os estudos demonstraram que os nitretos com presença de titânio possuem elevada estabilidade em altas temperaturas e, por isso, são potencialmente muito efetivos no controle do crescimento do grão. Alguns carbonetos com presença de nióbio apresentam também uma boa estabilidade em altas temperaturas, assim como os carbonitretos desses dois elementos. Foi verificada uma boa correlação dos produtos de solubilidade obtidos tanto por métodos experimentais como por cálculos termodinâmicos apresentados pela literatura, bem como a valiosa contribuição do software para estudos de precipitação e dissolução de carbonetos, nitretos e carbonitretos na austenita, permitindo auxiliar na seleção de aços e/ou modificação da composição de aços convencionais por meio da adição de microelementos juntamente com uma escolha apropriada de porcentuais de nitrogênio e/ou carbono, quando se busca controlar o crescimento do grão em altas temperaturas. Os resultados obtidos podem auxiliar de forma indireta nos estudos de eliminação de tratamentos térmicos convencionais, seja pelo uso de aços microligados com resfriamento controlado, seja pelo uso de aços convencionais de baixa liga temperados logo após forjamento, permitindo, assim, uma redução dos custos globais das peças. Além dessas considerações, os resultados apresentados e a técnica desenvolvida podem também ser úteis em outras áreas em que seja importante o controle do crescimento do grão, tais como laminação a quente e cementação em alta temperatura. / Thermodynamics studies of nitrides, carbides and carbonitrides of the micro elements V, Nb, Al and Ti were performed using the FactSage program databases, in order to verify their potential for grain growth inhibition in a range of temperatures of hot forged steels. A procedure to verify the solubility of compounds of the micro elements was developed by means of FactSage, and it was studied complex states less discussed in literature, such as the combined effect of two micro elements in steel and the behavior of carbonitrides at high temperatures, varying carbon and nitrogen contents. The studies demonstrate that the nitrides with Titanium have high stability in austenite at elevated temperatures: therefore they are potentially highly effective in grain size control. Carbides with Niobium also present effective stability at high temperatures, as well as the carbonitrides of these two elements. A good correlation was verified between the solubility product obtained either by experimental methods, or by thermodynamics calculation presented by literature. Also, a valuable contribution is made by the software in the studies of precipitation and dissolution of nitrides, carbides and carbonitrides in austenite; thus aiding the selection of steels, and/or modification of the chemical composition of standardized steels, by means of adding micro elements; and providing a suitable choice of carbon and nitrogen content when one seeks to control the grain growth at elevated temperatures. Such results can help indirectly in the studies eliminating conventional heat treatment methods, by using micro alloyed steels with controlled cooling and low alloy steels quenched after forging, with overall reducing costs. Besides these considerations, the results presented and the developed procedure can be useful in other areas where grain growth is an important factor, such as in hot rolling and carburizing at high temperature.

Este trabalho foi desenvolvido como parte das atividades relacionadas ao projeto de cooperação internacional Brasil-Alemanha intitulado "Bulk metal formed parts for power plants" pertencente ao BRAGECRIM (Iniciativa Brasil-Alemanha para Pesquisa Colaborativa em Tecnologia de Manufatura), realizado em parceria entre o Laboratório de Transformação Mecânica (LdTM) da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul e o Instituto de Conformação Mecânica (IBF) da Universidade Técnica de Aachen (RWTH), Alemanha. Este projeto visa o desenvolvimento do processo de forjamento a quente em matriz aberta para a produção de um eixo vazado para aplicação em aerogeradores de energia, em substituição à eixos maciços usualmente obtidos por fundição, visando aumento de desempenho mecânico e redução de peso da estrutura. Neste trabalho buscou-se analisar, por meio de simulação numérica computacional empregando o método de elementos finitos, diferentes parâmetros de forjamento, de modo a indicar a configuração operacional que se mostra mais adequada para a produção de um eixo vazado para a aplicação pretendida. Para isto, foram realizados cinco experimentos numéricos, avaliando a influência de parâmetros de forjamento na qualidade do produto forjado. Alguns parâmetros analisados foram: a sequência operacional de forjamento, geometrias e combinações de matrizes utilizadas industrialmente, razão de mordida, etc. Para as simulações termomecânicas foi utilizado o software de Elementos Finitos PEP/Larstran acoplado ao módulo de simulação de microestrutura Strucsim. O material utilizado nas simulações foi o aço DIN 42CrMo4 (AISI 4140). Os resultados mostraram que, dentre as diferentes combinações e geometrias de matrizes analisadas, o emprego de um par de matrizes côncavas, aplicando a sequência operacional-A analisada, tende a propiciar um produto de mais alta qualidade, promovendo maior uniformidade de deformação e microestrutura mais homogênea. Também, a razão de mordida influencia diretamente na qualidade do produto, sendo que uma razão de mordida na ordem de 0,6 induz graus de deformação maiores e mais profundos na peça forjada, ao mesmo tempo em que exige maiores cargas de conformação. Comparativos entre resultados da simulação e resultados experimentais de ensaios de compressão a quente de corpos de prova cilíndricos foram realizados para validação do software de simulação numérica. Os resultados experimentais mostraram que o software de simulação numérica pode prever com boa aproximação o fluxo de material e a evolução microestrutural durante o forjamento a quente do aço DIN 42CrMo4. / This work was developed as a part of the activities related to the international cooperation project between Brazil and Germany titled "Bulk formed metal parts for power plants" belonging to BRAGECRIM (Brazil-Germany Initiative for Collaborative Research in Manufacturing Technology). This project is in partnership between the Metal Forming Laboratory (LdTM) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) and the Institute of Metal Forming (IBF), from Technical University of Aachen (RWTH), Germany. The project aims the development of an open die forging process to produce a hollow shaft for application in wind turbines, replacing the solid shafts usually obtained by casting, in order to increase the mechanical performance and providing weight reduction to wind turbines. The present work aimed to analyze different forging parameters, using Finite Element Method, in order to indicate most suitable forging configuration to the production of a hollow shaft. Five numerical experiments were performed, evaluating the influence of various forging parameters on the quality of the forged product, such as the forging sequence, tool geometries and tool combinations and bite ratio. For thermomechanical simulations the Finite Element software PEP/Larstran was used, coupled to the microstructure simulation module Strucsim. The material used for the numerical simulations was the DIN 42CrMo4 steel (AISI 4140). The results showed that, among the different parameters analyzed, the use of concave dies, applying the operational sequence-A, tends to provide a forged with higher quality, promoting uniform strain distribution and homogeneous microstructure. Also, results showed that a bite ratio around 0,6 provides higher and deeper strain degrees, but requires higher forming loads. Hot compression tests using cylindrical specimens were performed to validate the numerical simulation software, including microstructure evolution. Comparison between simulation and experimental results showed that the numerical simulation software can predict with good approximation the material flow and microstructure evolution during hot forging for DIN 42CrMo4 steel.