The forming characteristics of radial-forward extrusion

In this paper, the forming of a central hub by radial-forward extrusion is analyzed quantitatively by the rigid-plastic finite element method. Design factors such as mandrel diameter, die corner radius and friction factor are applied in the simulation. The influence of these design factors on the ma ximum load during the forming operation and the pressure exerted on the too ling such as the punch and the mandrel is investigated and summarized in te rms of the maximum forming force. The simulation results are compared with experimental data from a reference to verify the usefulness of the simulati on. Based on the simulation results, it is concluded that the maximum formi ng load increases as the tube diameter and/or die corner radius increase. F urthermore, the mandrel diameter among the design factors has the greatest effect on the forming load during the radial-forward extrusion process. How ever, the die corner radius has a slight influence on the punch load as is easily expected. The work presented in this paper might be used for basic d ata in the design of the radial-forward extrusion process. (C) 2001 Publish ed by Elsevier Science B.V.