All calculated forging procedures are stored in a database from which you can retrieve them whenever you needed. Additionally, the software includes a database of approximately 120 steel grades / „families“, enabling flow stress calculation in accordance with the law of Hensel and Spittel. This information is necessary for the calculation of the required press force and press speed (strokes per minute).
You can calculate any kind of workpiece just by entering the dimensions segment by segment. There are no limits to the shape; we offer all possible profiles including round, octagonal, square, flat and hollow pieces. You can even combine different profiles in a single forged piece.
Once you enter the final part dimensions into the software, the system calculates the necessary forge weight by taking into account that there will be scale due to the heats. You can either enter an ingot manually or pick an ingot from the ingot table that is stored in the database. The most efficient way is to let the system propose the optimal ingot from the ingot table. In doing so, the system considers the body weight, the area and the reduction
of the ingot.
After selecting the ingot, enter the necessary tools for the forging process. Depending on the workpiece and the forging procedure, you can chose from a pair of flat dies, swage dies, v-dies and mandrels. There are some validity checks implemented in the pass schedule calculation. Selecting a tool will limit the maximum manipulator step, for example.
Modify the pass parameters (e.g. max penetration, max manipulator step, etc.) to speed up the forging process. During the software implementation, all pass parameters will be optimized upon approval from the customer. Some parameters are material dependent; these will be provided in the material table. This means that the parameters normally do not have to be changed for standard forgings. Nevertheless, for special forgings you are able to modify the parameters according to the requirements.
The Open-Die Forging Software will automatically calculate a sequence of operations that are necessary to get the desired forge piece. This forging sequence will include operations like „Get material“, „Heating in the furnace“, „Upsetting“, „Forging with flat dies“, „Turn ingot“, „Forging with swage dies“ and so on. The automatically calculated forging sequence will consider the dimensions of the segments, the profiles of the segments, the necessary reduction of the forge piece, the temperature of the forge piece, etc. You are able to modify the calculated schedules manually afterwards if necessary.
For every forging operation, the Open-Die Forging Software calculates the pass schedules that can be downloaded into the press controls. The pass schedule shows all of the important information for the forging process: press force, number of strokes, manipulator step, dimensions, etc. For each pass schedule, the software calculates the total forging time and the final temperature.
The pass schedule is calculated according to the law of Tomlinson and Stringer and includes some optimizations based on our experience.
The whole forging process can be simulated in 3D. You can rotate the forge piece, and you can even zoom in and out. This makes complicated forging steps descriptive and comprehensible.