Effective Stochastic Simulation for the Optimization of Time, Costs and Quality in Cold Forging

In cold forging tool life is limited in most cases by fatigue and characterized by distinct scatter depending on the scatter of the process parameters. This fact is also obstructing the production of net shape parts. Due to the scatter, a single simulation run with average values is known to be not appropriate to predict the desired output quantities. This paper describes an innovative method using a mathematical model of the forging process with a deterministic and a statistical component. According to the strength versus load concept (SVL-concept), a combination of the parametric and the statistical model leads to an integrated statistical process model which enables tool life prediction by taking statistical effects into account. In order to improve tool life an approach of avoiding tensile stresses and strains in the die has been successfully used for steel and cemented carbide tools.