Effect of punch force on the upsetting deformation process using three-dimensional finite element analysis

Forging is one of the conventional shaping technologies that is widely used for the manufacture of quality products for various industrial applications. The process involves the mechanical application of a punching force to deform a material to the desired shape and improved properties. In most cases, the manufacture of quality products depends on the experience of the designer and trial and error method thus making the process wasteful and costly. The present study reports on the application of finite element method (FEM) for the analysis of the effect of punch force on the stress/strain distribution during the deformation process as a step towards the reduction of trial and error methods in practice. The results show that increase in the punch force leads to inhomogeneity in the strain/stress distribution due to change in the deformation temperature resulting from the internal heat generated during plastic deformation stage and the frictional force at the punch-workpiece interface. It is also observed that the maximum effective strain occurs at the center of the deformed sample and the maximum effective stress occurs at the low effective strain regions. Moreover, the friction parameter increases as the punch force increases.