May 2023 Volume 5

AUTOMATION

Some of the key applications of digital twin technology in the forging industry are as follows: • Simulation and modelling -- Digital twin technology can enable forges to develop accurate simulations and models of their manufacturing processes. This can help optimize their production systems, improve product quality, and reduce costs. For example, digital twin technology can simulate the forging process to identify the optimal temperature, pressure, and other parameters required to produce high-quality products. • Predictive maintenance -- Forging companies can use digital twins tomonitor the healthof their equipment andpredictwhen maintenance will be required. This can prevent unexpected downtime and reduce maintenance costs. By analyzing data from sensors and IoT devices connected to the equipment, the digital twin can provide insights into equipment performance and suggest maintenance schedules. • Quality control -- Digital twins can help improve metal forging quality by detecting defects and deviations in real- or near-time. By analyzing data from sensors and cameras installed in the production environment, the digital twin can identify potential issues early and alert operators to take corrective actions. • Scheduling optimization -- With the help of digital twins, forges can optimize their production to maximize efficiency and minimize waste. They can analyze production data in real time and suggest changes to the schedule based on factors such as demand, inventory levels, and equipment availability. In 2019, The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS) published the results of a study it organized called Metamorphic Manufacturing – Shaping the Future of On-Demand Components . If you are in metal forming and looking for ways to digitize and improve the flexibility of your operation, you might consider this study as required reading. In it, the authors examined more modern approaches to manufacturing that are under development. This study defined Metamorphic Manufacturing (MM) “as a new approach to manufacturing that is currently under development. It relies on closed-loop, numerically controlled, incremental forming to achieve simultaneously complex shapes, and specific engineering properties and local microstructures.” After computer numerical controlled (CNC) machining and additive manufacturing (AM), MM has been referred to as the third wave of digital manufacturing. Metamorphic Manufacturing leapfrogs some limitations of CNC and AM “by combining the incremental thermo-mechanical deformation of a metalsmith with the precision and control of intelligent machines and robotic systems, and thus is also referred to as robotic blacksmithing.” The technologies that are developed for MM will be directly applicable to current forge operations.

“Robotic blacksmithing is like taking the blacksmithing processes of the village smithy practiced in days of yore and applying digital technology to them so as to replicate the ‘touch’ of the blacksmith’s skill with the reproducibility of a digital model,” said Kester Clarke, FIERF Professor at the Colorado School of Mines Metallurgical and Materials Engineering Department. Prof. Clarke is also one of the authors of the TMS study. “Digital twin technology dovetails nicely as part of robotic blacksmithing. It helps us understand what we need to know about the blacksmithing process and helps us see how close our virtual model comes to the automated smithing process,” he added. The TMS report indicates five fundamental elements that are the basis of metamorphic manufacturing. The acronym STARC is formed from S–sensors; T–thermal control; A–actuators and forming tools; R–robotic manipulation systems; and C– computation. These elements are what the study team were asked to identify as the fundamental elements essential to MM. The basic STARC elements provide a framework for an MM equipment suite and help identify the challenges associated with integrating these elements. Specific suites of metamorphic manufacturing equipment may include additional elements, but the STARC five are meant to comprise the components that “fully actualized metamorphic manufacturing production suites will require.” Whengatheredunder theumbrellaofMetamorphicManufacturing, robotic blacksmithing and other digital manufacturing techniques bring the forging industry closer to producing small custom products on demand at remote sites within the space that would have been required by a blacksmith of old. The Preface of the TMS report concludes as follows: “This agile manufacturing methodology is especially suited for making small batch, complex, customized parts rapidly, and in a highly economical way. As a possibly disruptive technology, MM has the potential to provide new market opportunities, and could even change the technical hierarchy within companies, regions, and/or countries.” In turn, the digital twin technologies developed to enable robotic blacksmithing processes can be used to inform and control forging processes in general. For example, if robust digital twins are available that accurately predict temperature during a forging process, then simple thermal measurements at key points during processing (i.e., right before and after a hammer hit) can be used to ensure the process is within desired temperature limits. This combination of digital twin, parameter monitoring, and process control will enable improved quality and repeatability of forging processes, and also allow for a “digital fingerprint” to be maintained of each component being produced, ensuring trackability and quality of each component that goes to the customer.

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