November 2020 Volume 2

This data structure also means that a lot of analysis can be done in the post-processor, so users can test different scenarios without having to re-run the simulation. A simple, effective stress calculation in the die in the post-processor can show if any areas of the die are approaching or exceeding the yield stress of the die material.

FORGING RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY

Figure 7: Red areas indicate areas exceeding the yield stress of the die material.

Figure 7: Red areas indicate areas exceeding the yield stress of the die material. But much deeper analysis of the die can be done. QForm can solve coupled mechanical and thermal problems where the temperature and deformation of the dies are calculated concurrently with the simulation. It has both explicit and implicit solvers as well as elastic-visco-plastic formulation that allow for simulation of residual tresses and distortion. These m thods are so effective and so easy to use that the entire process chain can be simulated as thermal and mechanical coupled task, taking into account deflection of tools and thermal shrinkage. By these means, QForm can estimate the number of cycles before a die cracks due to low-cycle fatigue using a sp cial del developed by QForm engineers. Figure 7: Red areas indicate areas exceeding the yield stress of the die material. But much deeper analysis of the die can be done. QForm can solve coupled mechanical and thermal problems where the temperature and deformation of the dies are calculated concurrently with the simulation. It has both explicit and implicit solvers as well as elastic-visco-plastic formulation that allow for simulation of residual stresses and distortion. These methods are so effective and so easy to use that the entire process chain can be simulated as a thermal and mechanical coupled task, taking into account deflection of tools and thermal shrinkage. By these means, QForm can estimate the number of cycles before a die cracks due to low-cycle fatigue using a special model developed by QForm engineers. But much deeper analysis of the die can be done. QForm can solve coupled mechanical and thermal problems where the temperature and deformation of the dies are calculated c ncurrently with the simulation. It has both expl cit implicit s lvers as well as elastic visco-plastic formulation that allow for simul tion of residual stresses and distortion. These methods ar so effective and so easy to use that the entire process chain can be simulated as a thermal and mechanical coupled task, taking into account deflection of tools and therm l shrinkage. By these means, QForm can estimate the number of cycl s before a ie cr cks due to low-cycle fatigue using a sp cial m del developed by QForm engineers.

Figure 8: Prediction of number of forging cycles before tool crack (With permission of Cramlington Precision Forge Ltd).

Figure 8: Prediction of number of forging cycles before tool crack (With permission of Cramlington Precision Forge Ltd). Figure 8: Prediction of number of forging cycles before tool crack (With permission of Cramlington Precision Forge Ltd). Another example of low-cycle fatigue die failure: Another example of low-cycle fatigue die failure:

Figure 9: Prediction of number of forging cycles before tool crack (with permission of Minusa Tratorpeças Ltda). Figure 9: Prediction of number of forging cycles before tool crack (with permission of Minusa Tratorpeças Ltda).

Tool wear can also be predicted by QForm. In the example shown in Figure 10, you can see that the predicted die wear matches very well with the actual die wear in the shop.

FIA MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2020 56