ANALYTICAL AND FINITE-ELEMENT ANALYSIS OF IN-SITU SOLIDIFIED SPECIMENUPSETTING

The behaviour of solidified steel in the continuous casting process is determined by means of a laboratory-scale upsetting test of specimens that are obtained by fusion and in-situ solidification in the test ma chine. From the curves of upsetting load-cylinder height decrease and the initial and final specimen dimensions, the stress-strain-strain ra te relationships and the related equatorial stress-strain paths are ca lculated using an analytical model, the performance of which is estima ted by comparing the results with those given by non-linear finite-ele ment models. Reference experiments are achieved on in-situ solidified A 283 steel cylinders at 1050 degrees C; stress-strain-strain rate rel ationships, equatorial strain and stress paths being determined. The a nalytical results give rather good estimates, especially for strain an d strain rate.