The service life of tools in metal forming technology is to a large extent limited by wear and fatigue fracture of the active elements. This presents a basic request for tool cost minimization and reduction of extensive machine down time, caused by premature tool failure. Currents developments are dominated by steps to reduce the causes of tool failure. A main problem of forming technology remains the insufficient reliability of tools due to a large and incalculable life time fluctuation. Only a systematic investigation of the failure mechanisms and operational loading of tools can lead to future improvements in tool layout, that is optimization of tool usage.

An arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) finite element method has been developed. The finite element formation is derived and implemented for rigid-viscoplastic materials. The developed computer program is applied to the analysis of axisymmetric square die extrusion, which has many difficulties with updated Lagrangian approach. The results are compared with those from updated Largrangian approach. The results are compared with those from updated Lagrangian finite element program. Updating scheme of time dependent variables and mesh control are also examined.

Most of bulk metal forming processes may be limited by ductile fracture such as surface or internal cracks developing in the workpiece. It is important to identify the conditions within the deforming workpiece which may lead to fracture, and then it is possible to modify the forming processes to produce sound and reliable product. This paper suggests the scheme to simultaneously accomplish prediction of fracture initiation and analysis of deformation in metal forming processes. The Cockcroft-Latham criterion which is successfully applied to a variety of loading situations is used in the present investigation to estimate whether fracture occurs during the deformation process. The numerical predictions and experimental results of two types of metal forming process are compared, axisymmetric extrusion and simple upsetting. The proposed scheme has successfully predicted the fracture initiation found experimentally.

A design methodology is applied for manufacturing a disk-brake piston component. The design criteria are the limit drawing ratio and the forging load within the available press limit. Also, the final product should not have any geometrical defect. The rigid-plastic FEM has been applied to simulate the conventional four stage manufacturing processes, which include deep drawing and forging process. Simulation of one stage process from a selected stock to the final product shape is performed for generating information on additional requirements for metal flow. Two stage forming processes with different punch corner and nose geometries are also simulated to identify the possible best solutions. Finally, the best manufacturing process is selected, which is using a hemispherical punch int he deep drawing process.

This study aims detecting forming defects for the forming process of bearing rings, which is designed by and industry expert. The designed process consists of one forming operation for the outer ring and four operations for the inner ring. The thickness of the sheet used is 1.6mm, and is in between of thin sheet and bulk material. Here the rigid-plastic finite element method is applied to the analysis and design of the process without considering anisotropy of thin sheet. Thinning and folding defects are detected if the initially designed process is applied for manufacturing. So a new process is designed by referring the results of the FEM. It is confirmed that the industry expert agree the possibility of defects derived from FEM results.

An upper bound elemental technique(UBET) is applied to predict the forging load and die-cavity filling for non-axisymmetric ring forging. In order to analyze the process easily, it is suggested that the finial product is divided into three different deformation regions. That is axisymmetric part in corner, lateral plane-strain part and shear deformation on boundaries between them. the place-strain and axisymmetric part are combinded by building block method. Also the total energy is computered through combination of three deformation part. Experiments have been carried out with pure plasticine billets at room temperature. The theoretical predictions of the forging load and the flow pattern are in good agreement with the experimental results.

The purpose of this paper is to pursue a general method to determine both the flow stress of a material and the friction factor by ring compression test. The materials are assumed to obey the expanded n-power hardening rule including the strain-rate effect. Ring compression is simulated by the rigid-plastic finite element method to obtain the database used in determining the flow stress and friction factor. The Simulation is conducted for various strain hardening exponent, strain-rate sensitivity, friction factor, and compressing speed, as variables. It is assumed that the friction factor is constant during the compression process. To evaluate the compatibility of the database, experiments are carried out at room and evaluated temperature using specimens of aluminum 6061-T6 under dry and grease lubrication condition. It is shown that the proposed test method is useful and easy to use in determining the flow stress and the friction factor.

An approximate procedure based on a combination micro-macroscopic theories of plasticity for predicting the crystallographic texture during the plane strain forming of fcc metals has been developed. This procedure is divided into two steps. Firstly, we extract the history of the deformation gradient at all deformed elements with a elasto-plastic finite element method using isotropic plasticity model. Secondly, we use this deformation gradient history to predict the crystallographic deformation texture based on the Bishop-Hill theory. Renouard and Wintenberger' method is chosen for selecting the active slip systems. The predicted results have been compared with reported experimental results. The calculated results are in good agreement with their results.