Sustainability issues of research and development of forging

Purpose: of this paper is to review recent research activities of the Computer Aided Materials Processing Laboratory to improve sustainability of the material and manufacturing process in forging. Design/methodology/approach: Empirically obtained non-dimensional equation to determine friction factor was introduced by employing tip test results. Equal channel angular processing (ECAP) and hybrid process consisting of pinch rolling, ECAP, and drawing were newly designed to make the process continuous and improve the strength of the material. The numerical program based on cellular automata and crystal plasticity was developed to predict microstructure and texture evolution during recrystallization. Findings: The friction factors at the punch or die interfaces during cold forging can be determined separately as a function of the hardness and surface roughness of the material and punch or dies, initial yield strength of the material, viscosity of the lubricant, and die velocity. Severe plastic deformation was applied in a continuous manner and strength increase of the material was obtained as a result. The microstructure and texture evolution during recrystallization can be predicted numerically by the developed program. Research limitations/implications: The proposed results should be compared with the practical results to further the applicability and solution accuracy. Practical implications: The present approach can be used as an example to tackle the sustainability of the material and manufacturing process. Originality/value: The current approach is practically easy to apply and the simulation tool developed can replace the laborious and expensive experiments.