A pair of bolts on a connecting rod failed during a test run for a prototype engine. They were replaced by bolts made from a stronger material that also failed, one due to fatigue, the other by tensile overload. The fracture surfaces on all four bolts were examined using optical and electron microscopes, indicating that the operating loads on the bolts far exceeded the design loads. Based on their observations, which are summarized in the report, failure analysts concluded that the design of the connecting rod system needs to be reassessed.

This chapter presents a relatively simple method for estimating forging loads and flow stresses. The method uses the slab analysis technique and accounts for material properties, friction and heat transfer, press ram speed, forging geometry, and billet and die temperatures. The chapter demonstrates the use of the method and compares the results with measured values.

The load-displacement capabilities of a mechanical press are determined largely by the design of its drive mechanism or, more precisely, the linkage through which the drive motor connects to the slide. This chapter discusses the primary types of linkages used and their effect on force, velocity, and stroke profiles. It begins by describing the simplest drive configuration, a crankshaft that connects directly to the slide, and a variation of it that uses eccentric gears to alter the stroke profile. It then discusses the effect of adding a fixed link, knuckle joint, or toggle to the slider-crank mechanism and how gear ratios, component arrangements, and other design parameters affect slide motion. The chapter also explains how to assess load and energy requirements, time-dependent characteristics, and dimensional accuracy and discusses overload protection, shutheight adjustment, and slide counterbalancing as well.

A tie rod on a 70-ton aircraft towing tractor failed during a test run, fracturing near a welded bracket that connects to a hydraulic jack. This chapter discusses the failure and the investigation that followed. It presents a close-up view of the fracture surface showing what appears to be a brittle fracture that initiated from a zone of poor-quality weld. It also provides photographic evidence of a weld crack in the heat-affected zone and includes a drawing of a modified weld design that passed subsequent testing.

Prior to forging, it is often necessary to preform billet stock to achieve adequate material distribution. This chapter discusses the equipment used for such operations, including transverse rolling machines, electric upsetters, ring-rolling mills, horizontal presses, and rotary (orbital) and radial forging machines. It describes their basic operating principles as well as advantages and disadvantages.

This chapter discusses the use of finite-element modeling in forging design. It describes key modeling parameters and inputs, mesh generation and computation time, and process modeling outputs such as metal flow, strain rate, loading profiles, and microstructure. It also includes a variety of application examples.

This chapter discusses the factors involved in the design of impression-die forging systems. It begins by presenting a flow chart illustrating the basic steps in the forging design process and a block diagram that shows how key forging variables are related. It then describes the requirements of various forging alloys, the influence of machine operating parameters, and production challenges related to lot tolerances and shape complexity. The chapter also covers the design of finisher dies, the prediction of forging stresses and loads, and the design of preform dies for steel, aluminum, and titanium alloys.