An Experimental and Numerical Investigation into Forming Force Reduction in Precision Gear Forging
A significant factor in the cost of industrial machinery for precision forging is the maximum load required to fully forge the final shape of components. Typically in a precision forging process, the required load increases greatly towards the end of the stroke. This study focuses on reducing the final sharp increase in load encountered in a typical closed die forging setup. A technique of reducing the peak load in the forging of gears is proposed, named the Peripheral Relief (PR) method. A gear forging tool set has been designed and manufactured. A number of experimental trials have been performed using model materials to investigate the force reduction technique. An efficient and simplified FE model has been developed to evaluate the effects of the PR method. The experimental load characteristics are compared to the simulated results. The method has been found, both numerically and experimentally, to significantly reduce the peak load encountered at the end of the forging stroke compared to current closed die forging techniques.