Contribution to characterization of metal forming machines: application to screw presses

Abstract

Finite Element analyses are established in the metal forming industry, with the aim to fulfill three objectives: predict tooling lifetime, predict the energy required to obtain the desired part and predict the thermomechanical path leading to the optimal microstructure. Currently, simulations allow good predictions regarding forging operations with currently used material, like steel, but concerning high performing materials, significant difference are observed between numerical and experimental results. This study aims at understanding this disparity between numerical and experimental results, for screw presses. Different methods have been employed to determine the press stiffness, using fast cameras and 3D tracking points systems.