Optimal process design in non-isothermal, non-steady metal forming by the finite element method

Abstract

A new approach to process optimal design in non-isothermal, non-steady-state metal forming is presented. In this approach, the optimal design problem is formulated on the basis of the integrated thermo-mechanical finite element process model so as to cover diverse objective functions and design variables, and a derivative-based approach is adopted for conducting optimization. The process model, the formulation for process optimal design, and the schemes for the evaluation of the design sensitivity, and an iterative procedure for optimization are described in detail. The validity of the schemes for the evaluation of the design sensitivity is examined by performing a series of numerical tests. The capability of the proposed approach to deal with diverse process parameters and objective functions is demonstrated through applications to some selected process design problems. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.