February 2024 Volume 6

EQUIPMENT & TECHNOLOGY

Figure 3: Bent Billet from Roller bend

Figure 2

A New Tool in the Toolbox Embracing change and utilizing simulation is critical for forgers looking to stay competitive, even in the face of significant headwinds. Simulation allows for the optimization of the traditionally expensive forging process in a risk-free digital environment rather than on the shop floor. This not only saves costs, but also allows for more value to be added to the product, which can increase margins and attract customers. Simulation is a powerful tool that allows for the validation of forged parts, both in the design phase and for parts already in production. By modeling the entire forging process, simulation provides deeper insights into the process and the part, enabling the prediction of many different forging characteristics. With a validated model, all key parameters of the forging process and the part can be understood and modified to improve desired characteristics. This validated model is a powerful asset for forgers, setting them apart in the market and allowing them to bring more value to the table for customers during the design phase. Design of Bend Tooling – A Case Study Challenge: Design of Bend Tooling Solution: Export an STL file to overlay the "U" shape onto our forge dies in CAD, ensuring that the bent shape would be compatible with the desired specifications for this particular part.

The Company Anchor Harvey is a data-driven aluminum forging company with a century-long legacy in precision manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain management in the USA. We’ve modernized the age-old aluminum forging process by introducing sophisticated technology to monitor and control every step of the process, ensuring part consistency from 1 to +1,000,000. Challenge Hot bending a 2.375 diameter 6061 aluminum billet into a "U" shape presents numerous challenges. The process involves critical factors such as temperature control, bending method, bending equipment, bend radius and angle, heat distribution, post-bending treatment, and quality control. Attaining the desired shape necessitates careful consideration of these factors. However, this type of bender can cause galling on the outer surface of the aluminum billet, leading to flaws on the parts. Various coatings have been attempted on the original bender to reduce friction, but they have had limited effect on the billet's surface. Lubricating the roller bender before each hit is done to help prevent galling. Furthermore, the design of the bend tooling poses a specific challenge. The bend tooling must be meticulously engineered to ensure that the resulting bent shape aligns with the requirements of the intended part.

Figure 4: Earlier bender bottom die

The Solution Thanks to the bending simulation, we were able to initiate the design of the bending tooling for our project. We utilized the simulation results to start developing our bending tooling by exporting an STL file. This allowed us to overlay the "U" shape onto our forge dies in CAD, ensuring that the bent shape would be compatible with the desired specifications for this part. The team at Transvalor Americas helped us reduce simulation time by over 50%, which has made a significant difference in our business's workflow and process. This has allowed us to avoid press downtime due to sampling and increased quotation accuracy, resulting in significant cost savings. Additionally, the software's ability to identify flaws during simulation has helped our engineering team determine the necessary forming steps, and all hot forming tooling is validated and tested in simulation before being released for manufacturing. This has reduced the likelihood of significant flaws in the released tooling and

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2024 15