Towards an integrated design and production system for hot forging dies

Abstract

The outline of an integrated system for forging die design and manufacture, based on the use of the principles of group technology to rationalize procedures and form the basis for information systems, is given. Associated with each class of forging is a number of alternative standard processing sequences or workplans. Each work plan has associated data for estimating purposes and design procedures for all dies, including where appropriate computer aided design systems. Some computer aided design programmes which would form part of such an integrated system for certain classes of forging are described and these include a system for axisymmetric round forgings, a system for preform design and die layout design for long forgings and a system of composite dies for small batch round forgings, including computer aided die insert selection.