This article discusses the stable and metastable three-phase fields in the binary Fe-C phase diagram. It schematically illustrates that austenite decomposition requires accounting for nucleation and growth of ferrite and then nucleation and growth of pearlite in the remaining untransformed volume. The article describes the austenite decomposition to ferrite and pearlite in spheroidal graphite irons and lamellar graphite irons. It provides a discussion on modeling austenite decomposition to ferrite and pearlite.

This article provides a summary of the overall development of the finite element method (FEM) and its contribution to the materials forming industry. It focuses on the overall philosophy and evolution of the FEM for solving bulk forming issues. A number of applications of FEM are presented in the order they would be used in a typical manufacturing process sequence: primary materials processing, hot forging and cold forming, and product assembly. The article discusses four FEM modules: the deformation model, the heat-transfer model, the microstructural model, and the carbon diffusion model. The article also covers material fracture and die stress analysis and reviews optimization of the design of forming processes.

A computational tool would require the contribution of the strengthening mechanisms of metallic material to be predicted and then summed in an appropriate way to derive an estimate of the tensile properties. This article focuses on the modeling of deformation mechanisms pertinent to structural materials, namely, solid-solution strengthening, age/precipitation hardening, dispersion strengthening, grain size reduction, strengthening from cold work, and strengthening from interfaces. It explains the application of predictive models in the atomistic modeling of dislocation structures and cast aluminum property prediction. The article concludes with information on the use of rules-based approaches and data-mining techniques for quantitative predictions of tensile properties.

This article focuses on approximate closed-form analytical methods, such as slab and upper bound methods, used for forward and inverse design of metal forming problems. Selected examples of application of these methods to metal forming processes are also discussed.

This article discusses physical analysis, including slab method and upper-bound method and slip-line field analysis, for calculating stress states in plastic deformation processes. It presents various validation standards and models for evaluating the criterion of fracture for use in finite-element analyses of deformation processing. The article reviews the Cockcroft-Latham criterion of fracture and its reformulated extension for analysing the fracture locus for compression. It concludes with information on fundamental fracture models.

This article reviews the planning of fatigue experiments, including the structure of a test plan, randomization, and nuisance variables. The statistical characterization of the S/N (stress/life) or e/N (strain/life) response of a single material tested under a single condition is discussed. The techniques for defining a mean fatigue curve and evaluating scatter or variability about that mean are explained. The article presents the standard techniques for statistical characterization of the fatigue strength or fatigue limit of a single material by use of the Probit method, the up-and-down (staircase) method, and two-point procedures. Stress-level selection methods are also presented. The article discusses the comparison of the fatigue behavior of two or more materials for data generated at a single stress or strain level. Treatments to compare data generated over a range of stress or strain levels are included. The article also summarizes the consolidation of fatigue data generated at different conditions.

This article introduces the reasons behind the selection of a deformation process as the method of choice for producing a part or product form. It discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and categories of deformation processes. The article describes the major design considerations in applying a deformation process. Some fundamental aspects of plastic flow, flow stress, cold and hot working, workability, and formability are presented. The article provides information on free-surface cracking, central burst or chevron cracking, and cracking on die contact surface, as well as the microstructural effects on metal flow. It also discusses the defects in sheet-metal formed parts and flow-related defects in bulk forming.

The design of structural components with nominally brittle materials is largely determined by their elastic moduli, density, and tensile strength. This article discusses some of the factors involved in the design and reliability through considerations of toughness and ductility of nominally brittle materials. It describes toughening by various bridging mechanisms, as well as process zone effects and their interaction with the bridging rupture zone. The article explains the phenomena that give rise to exceptional toughness and notch-insensitive mechanical behavior. It provides a schematic illustration of a basic cell model to characterize the inelastic strains that occur in ceramic-matrix composites and their dependence on the interface friction.