Development of a microstructural suited forging technology for crank shafts

• Applicant: Dr.-Ing. Florian Nürnberger
• Subject Area: Metallurgical, Thermal and Thermomechanical Treatment of Materials
• Term: from 2012 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 226927008

Within the applied research project the development of a numerically supported technology for forming and heat treatment of heavy steel parts such as crank shafts by considering the microstructural development is intended. The research project shall be realized in collaboration with project partners from Poland. The forming heat can be used to accomplish a heat treatment directly after a forging to reduce the usually necessary process steps of manufacturing steel parts. Here, such a shortened processing shall be realized at the manufacturing process of heavy crank shafts for instance. Considering the microstructural development during forming and heat treatment, an optimized processing of parts with enhanced mechanical properties shall be developed while reducing the usually necessary energy consumption. For the development of a heat treatment technology numerical simulations of cooling and coupled microstructure development are planned based on suited deformation time-temperature-transformation diagrams on the part of the Institute of Materials Science. Numerical process optimization will be carried out in collaboration with the project partners by connecting the heat treatment simulation, developed in Hanover, with the forming simulation, developed at the AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków. The required material properties will be determined by using plastometric measurements at the Institute of Iron Metallurgy in Gliwice and dilatometric measurements in Hannover, respectively. Experimental investigations of a process integrated manufacturing of crank shafts are carried out at the Institute of Metal Forming in Poznán. A suited cooling facility for an appropriate heat treatment by means of spray cooling will be developed in Hannover.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Participating Institution: Akademia Górniczo-Hutnicza ; Faculty of Metals Engineering and Industrial Computer Science ; Department of Applied Computer Science and Modelling; Instytut Obróbki Plastycznej; Instytut Metalurgii Zelaza
• Participating Person: Professor Dr.-Ing. Friedrich-Wilhelm Bach (†)