Die design for flashless forging of complex parts

In conventional hot forging of connecting rods, the material wasted to the flash accounts approximately 20-40% of the original workpiece. In order to reduce the cost of forged products, the forging must be performed in a clos ed cavity to obtain near-net or net shape parts. In flashless forging, the volume distribution of the preform must be accurately controlled to avoid o verloading the dies and to fill the cavity. Additionally, the preform must be simple enough to be mass-produced. This study deals with the preform design for flashless forging of a connect ing rod and introduces a new tooling concept for forging of complex parts w ith a controlled amount of flash. In both studies the use of process simula tions has been helpful in the performance of several iterations without req uiring the construction of expensive tooling. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A . All rights reserved.