Page 30 - ITAtube Journal 1 2019

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Technical Papers
Realistic forming simulation of the ring rolling process.
during ring rolling provides a significant added value especially for producers of high-performance and high-end components as used, for example, in the aerospace industry. In this way, we are able to look at both the production process and the product proper- ties,” says Anna Back, Project Manager Coupled Sim- ulation of Forming and Microstructural Development.
For tube making plants, the SMS team has performed various types of simulations, among others of the piercing process in cross-rolling mills. As a solid billet progresses through the rolls in these mills, it is being pierced by a plug. In the past, undesired burr formation often occurred at the end of the pierced billet. Different solutions and geometries and their effects on the tools (forces, drive torque, contact pressure, etc.) were examined in the digital test field. The tests provided the following results: The forming simulations made an important contribution to the development of a solution capable of avoiding the formation of burr. The subsequent field tests in the cross-roll piercing mill confirmed the simulations and showed the high correspondence between the simulated results and real plant operation.
Partners to the customers
Koos van Putten: ”For more than 20 years, SMS group has been engaged in FE simulations of forming, heat treatment and manufacturing processes. We bring to bear our extensive experience as the “Leading Partner in the World of Metals” to the benefit of our customers, not only via our feasibility studies, trou- ble-shooting analysis and process optimizations, but also by providing dedicated training and consulting during the model development process and for the active enhancement of the FEM software.” In doing so, SMS group works within a close network of uni- versities, research institutes and trade associations.
Ready for the digital age in plant and mechani- cal engineering
Growing digitalization in plant and mechanical engi- neering opens up new opportunities, especially in the field of numerical simulation, due to the increas- ingly intensive interaction of technologies. Also the growing requirements to be complied with, such as the certification of production processes for safe- ty-critical components in turbines, will in future only be economically feasible by making smart use of latest digital technology. Anna Back: “We no longer need to conduct cost-intensive preliminary tests, as we are able to predict the development of the microstructure from the forging blank to the fin-
FEM-based illustration of forces acting during tube making
ITAtube Journal No1/February 2019