Finite element simulation on press forging of magnesium alloy AZ31 sheets
(1. Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China;2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shenyang Ligong University, Shenyang 110168, China)
Abstract: Press forging of rectangular box of magnesium alloy AZ31 sheets was investigated at elevated temperatures. The characteristics of metal flow were analyzed on the basis of finite element method(FEM) and experiments. Effects of friction factor and sidewall thickness on metal flow and boss forming were investigated by FEM. The results indicate that the bosses and the sidewall of the rectangular box are formed unevenly due to the uneven flow of the metal. The increase in friction factor at die/sheet interface improves the metal flow pattern and the efficiency of boss forming, but reduces the sidewall uniformity. Decrease in sidewall thickness enhances boss forming efficiency, whereas the punch load increases in this case. The present work can provide reasonable parameters and design guideline for the practical press forging process of magnesium alloy sheets.
Key words: press forging; magnesium AZ31; metal flow; boss; finite element method