Development of a novel method for the design of forging route in ingot to billet conversion

Project aim

Enhance the quality of manufactured components and improve process effectiveness through the understanding and modeling of scale effects on the behaviour of as-cast ingots, and definition of a method for the design and optimisation of the ingot to billet conversion process.

Project description

The manufacturing process of large high-value components used in demanding environments such as aerospace and energy must comply with strict quality standards and provide high mechanical properties. The ingot to billet conversion aims to refine the as-cast material microstructure through cogging and upsetting processes and provides the material with mechanical properties and compatibility with non-destructive controls.

Due to the size and costs of such components, the optimisation of the manufacturing route is not financially viable at real scale. Thus, experimentation at an intermediate size scale is required, and results have to be transposed through scales for larger ingots by simulation.

A substantial amount of research has been performed for modelling the as-cast material behaviour, however, the prediction of the as-cast material behaviour regarding its structure has not been thoroughly studied.