Abstract
Model material technique, which requires only the small space of experimental set-up and low cost for experiment, is used to estimate the deformed profile and the forging load in rotary forging. The materials and working conditions are determined to satisfy the similitude conditions between the model test and the prototype test. The model material of the so-called plasticine and the mild steel are chosen as specimens, and they represent almost the same value of strain gardening exponent in the stress-strain relationship. Lubricant in the model test is also carefully selected so that it gives the same frictional conditions at the tool-specimen interface. Experiments for two kinds of specimens are carried out in each testing equipment at room temperatue. From the experiments the deformed dimensions and the forging loads are measured and compared with each other by using the simulation coefficients. It is shown that there are good agreements between the model test and the prototype test. Finally, for verifying the availability of the model material technique this mathod is applied to forging of bevel gear product. the good result is obained which can demonstrate that the model material technique is very efficent for estimating or developing a new process.