Learning Cold Forming Technology —Another Engineer’s Perspective by: “Toby Padlield Senior Materials Engineer ZE Sachs Aut 15811 Centens Northville, toby.padfild@ztcom was motivated to write this article after reading the excel- lent piece by Laura Williams Lamanna thet appeared in the April 2006 issue of Fastener Technology International. She effectively described the struggles that all neweomers, young or old, face when trying to lear the complex and fascinating subject of cold forming. Since I have spent a considerable amount of time over the past several years researching this topic, I thought that it would be beneficial to pass on some of the information that | have learned. Metal forming has traditionally been an area where hands- ‘on experience is paramount, and trial-and-error methods have bbeen the basis for development. This in turn has led to a re= Iuctance of most individuals and companies inthe industry to divulge their hard-won knowledge in the interest of education, ‘As Williams mentioned previously, there really is no definitive reference on this subject (see the sidebar below). However, there are still many good information sources available for both beginners and more advanced users on a wide variety (of topics such as wire/rod materials; coatings and lubricants; ‘workability and process sequence design; forming machines; and materials, coatings, and analysis techniques for designing and manufacturing tools. References For Cold Forming Technology The following isa list ofthe best references, from my expe- rience, on cold forming technology. Its not meant to exelude all of the expertise from the various raw material producers, heat treaters, tool manufacturers, lubricant suppliers, etc that routinely service the cold forming industry. Obviously, these are valuable resources that should be utilized to the fullest The situation in Germany is different from that in North America, There is a real culture for metal forming that is ‘part oftheir industrial history more so than other countries. Innovators like Sieber, Feldmann and Lange have openly contributed conference presentations and written papers ‘over the years, and the German professional society, VDI, still has an annual program dedicated to cold forming tech- ‘nology: Also, there are two large German-language books that can be considered definitive references, although both ‘are now out-of-print: Stauchen und Pressen (Upsetting and Preforming, edited by H.D. Feldmana, Carl Hanser Verlag, 1973) and Kalifliesspressen von Stahl und Nich- ‘eisenmetalten (Cold Extrusion of Steel and Now-ferrous Metals, K. Mayrhofer, Springer-Verlag, 1983). The 14% English-language articles and papers by Karl Sieber and his colleagues (Sieber Forming Solutions, www.sieber-fade) are exceptionally informative, and they confirm how much was understood about the process even in the early 1950s. Toby Padfield 24 Fastener Technology itematonalAugust 2007 Good information sources are available for both beginners and more advanced users on a wide variety of metal forming topics related to fastener production. extent, Instead this list should be used as a supplement 10 these other resources. Handbooks and Other Technical Books Handbooks can be valuable resources due to their cover- age of all facets of the process from raw materials to final part properties Handbook of Metal Forming, edited by Kurt Lange, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 1172 pp, 1985 (ovww.sme.org). Originally published in German as Leli- ‘buch der Umformiechnik, this is arguably the single-most ‘comprehensive metal forming reference ever published. The ‘material covers a broad spectrum from theory to practical application. ASM HANDBOOK Volume 14A Metalworking: Bulk Forming, ASM International, 888 pp, 2008 (www.asminternationalorg). One of the best all-around references available, it features recently updated coverage on all major cold forming aspects. The original Metals Hand- book Volume $ Forging and Casting (ASM International, 1970) was created by pioneers in the field and remains one Of the best historical references for the state-of-the-art from that time period Tool and Manufacturing Engineers Handbook, Volume 2: Forming, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, 958 pp, 1984 (www.sme.org). Similar to the ASM HANDBOOK, terms of scope, it has portions on tool materials, lubricants, ‘wire drawing, extrusion and upsetting. The later two sections discuss details specific to the processes, such as raw materials, tool design, forming guidelines, and achievable part properties and dimensional aecuraey. Metal Forming Handbook, edited by Schuler GmbH, Springer-Verlag, 563 pp, 1998 (www.springer.com). While ‘much of the information is specific 10 sheetmetal forming and design/construction of vertical forming presses, there are many positives for this book: excellent seetion on solid forming (forging) including easy-to-use calculations and recommendations for too! materials and design. The graphic design and illustrations are outstanding, and considerably ai in understanding the subject matter. Cold and Hot Forging: Fundamentals and Applications, edited by Taylan Altan, et al, ASM International, 341 pp, 2005 (www.asminternationalorg). The best features of this book are the descriptions of the various finite element simulation techniques, especially the method for simultane ‘ous determination of flow stress and friction, There is also ‘an excellent section on physical testing for flow stress. Othernotable parts include load estimation for flashless, closed-die upsetting and analysis of die/too failures. Journals, Magazines, Technical Papers and Specialty Publications The following ae the top eight sources inthis category, but there are many others with valuable content as wel. Libraries, especially those at publicly supported state universities are {good places for evaluating various periodicals, since almost all of them have open access tothe public and maintain large collections. The Google Scholar™ search engine can be quite useful for keyword searches, while specialized databases like Engineering Index (Compendex*) and CSA [Humina from ProQuest* offer enhanced capabilities. Fastener Technology Internationa, Initial Publications Ine. (ww wfastenertech.com). As any regular reader cantell you, this magazine isa great source for cold forming information. ‘Over 50 articles on this topic have appeared since 1999, as ‘well as numerous summaries and “Spotlight” features com- piled by the editorial staff Journal of Materials Processing Technology, Elsevier BN. (wwwsciencedirect.com) Greater than 400 articles on cold forming and related topies have been published since 1977, including those published under the former name of Journal of Mechanical Working Technology. Even though this is a “scientific” journal which requires manuscripts to be reviewed prior to publication, much of the content is practically oriented for industrial users. Articles involving forming simulation are very common, with many featuring damage analysis and innovative techniques for evaluating component variation due to die elasticity. SME Technical Papers, Society of Manufacturing En- ‘gincers (www.sme.org). Cold forming has always been a Popular subject in SME Technical Papers, with more than 115 Papers appearing since 1964, and members have free access toall of them, Numerous examples of components have been described, as well as new developments in lubricants, tools and raw materials. WIRE, Meisenbach Verlag (www.meisenbach.de). This is the English language companion to the long-running German magazine Draht. Included among the 75+ papers published ‘on the subject are some of the best ever written. It is also the official publication for documents from the International Cold Forging Group, a leading organization of researchers and practitioners (see below), Wire Journal International, Wire Association International (www.wirenetorg). This journal has featured more than 50 articles since 1980 related to wire drawing, annealing, work- ability and new material developments. Itis probably the best single source for information on cold forming of dual phase steel for high strength fasteners and components, International Cold Forging Group (www.iefg.info). The ICFG was founded 40 years ago with the objective “To promulgate the economic advancement of cold forging and related forming technologies, by encouraging and ¢o-ordinat- ing national and international co-operation, by stimulating research, by disseminating knowledge of relevant processes and sciences.” They have created 17 practical guidelines since 1982 that encompass everything from steel and aluminum ‘materials; to lubrication aspects; to tool design, manufactur ing, and durability. The group has annual meetings as well as subgroups on specific areas (Too! Life and Too! Quality, Process Simulation, etc). “Heading Hints: A Guide to Cold Forming Specialty Alloys”, Carpenter Technology Corporation (www.cartech.com). This booklet starts with a general overview on cold forming, and then goes into more detail on forming of stainless steels and specialty alloys. Chapter contents include alloy selection for forming, coatings and lubricants, tool materials and design, and selected case histories. Strecon A/S, Sonderborg, Denmark (www.strecon.com). ‘Their “Technology Notes” and “Application Notes” describe ‘one of the most innovative tool concepts for improving tools and tool life, Using stripwound containers and optimized pre- stressing, significant improvements can be obtained including, increased loadability, increased die stiffness (reduced elastic, deflection/smaller dimensional errors), and reduced eyelic plasticity (strains that cause low cycle fatigue). The website also includes a number of technical papers that can be freely downloaded, Conferences ‘The unfortunate trend of reduced conference attendance has ‘been particularly evident in North America, and there is eur- rently no significant forum for discussion and idea exchange related to cold forming technology. This has not always been the case, as SME used to include regular programming in this area. Until something is done about ths, the following remai the most notable conferences. “New Developments in Forging Technology”, Institute for Metal Forming Technology, University of Stuttgart (wwwani-stuttgart.de/ifuindex.en.htm!). ‘This conference is organized as a mixture of “theory, techni cal know-how, and solutions” from leaders in the field. The presentations are simultaneously translated into English and German, with the proceedings published in either language (English only from 2001 onwards) “International Cold Forging Conference”, (MIT (owww.imft.co.uk) and VDI (www.vdi.de). This conference has been held every five years since 1955, with the location alternating between the UK and Germany. The history of cold forming has been well documented in the proceedings of this conference, where the theme has always been to present the state-of-the-art in both research and industrial applications. “International Seminar on Precision Forging”, JSTP (www.jstp.or jp). The scope of this conference is similar to the previous two, with adistinet focus on techniques and pro- ‘cesses for achieving precision parts. The conference is held in Japan approximately every three years, with the presentations and final proceedings in English. Continued. ‘August 2007/Fastener Technology Inerations| 25Learning Cold Forming Technology..continues Training Allo the major machine producers like National Machin- ery LLC, Nedschroef Herentals and Hatebur Metalform- ing Equipment Ltd. provide training on cold forming basics, process and tool development, and machine maintenance and repair. Software vendors like Scientific Forming Tech- nologies Corporation (SFTC) (DEFORM™), MSC (MSC. ‘SuperForge™), Quantor (Qform™) and others likewise offer seminars tailored to the cold forming industry. The following section elaborates on afew of the available choices. National Machinery LLC, (www.nationalmachinery.com). ‘No other company has done more to improve and further the use of cold forming, and their history is linked with numer- ‘ous innovations in the field. Their training seminars “Intro- duction to Cold Forming Principles” and “Advanced Cold Forming Principles” provide the most detailed information for machine- and process-related items like how to design a forming sequence, what are the different kickout (ejector) styles available, and how to develop the proper timing dur- ing part transfer. The company also developed QUIKCALC PLUS, a software tool that performs many funetions including calculation of forming force and energy, press fits for insert stress ring interfaces, determination of volume and area for a wide assortment of part geometries, as well as other utility functions. Nedschroef Group (www.nedschroef.nl). Nedschroef hhas a unique array of capabilities as a producer of forming ‘machines, tooling and formed parts, especially fasteners for the automotive industry. Their expertise includes the design, development and simulation of warm and cold formed parts, which is well-illustrated in the presentation “Cost Reduction Drivers in the Automotive describes modem forming ‘machine features and includes the part sequence and tool arrangements for several different automotive applications, «demonstrating clever approaches that are unlikely to be found elsewhere, Fastener Technology International, Initial Publications Inc. (www.fastenertech.com). This is another area where Fastener Technology International has been a valuable contributor to learning cold forming, as one of the organiz- ers of the ColdForming seminar variously conducted during FASTENER TECH™ and 1F1 workshop events. Seminar presentations from renowned experts like National, SFTC and PCC Precision Tool Group provide a diverse look at the assorted technologies that comprise cold forming. The use of DEFORM™ simulations are especially helpful for visualizing what really happens within the tools during the ‘metal forming process. “Process Modeling for Metal Forming Die Stress Analysis”, SFTC (www.cleform.com) and Marquette University. Now in its twelfth year, this workshop concentrates on simulating. tools during the forming process in order to determine failure ‘modes and reduce problems associated with fatigue, wear, and fracture. Specific topies include coupled die stress analysis, ‘multiple deforming bodies, and understanding thermal effects (non-isothermal analysis) Patents This last area may not appear obvious, but is in fact a tremendous source of information. There are well over $00 US Patents related to cold forming, all of which can be freely accessed by the public. The Google Patent Search™ tool is extremely easy fo use, and it allows for instantaneous PDF downloads of any patent granted up tothe middle of 2006. ‘The US Patent and Trademark Office, available online i wwww.nspto.gov/patfindex.html, has the most complete collection (including all current patents and applications), but does not allow for PDF downloads, although individual pages can be viewed as tif images. The European Patent Office {http:/ep.espacenet.com) ste is also quite useful, and even contains patents from all ofthe other world patent entities. Example of Cold Forming Technology ‘Asan example of how information can be integrated using these different sources, the following section examines US Patent 4319934 "Method of forming tools from alloy steel for severe cold forming” by G. S. Henning, Snap-on Tools, Figure 1 shows the part progression for a socket tool as depicted inthe patent. This design is a deep-hole spark-plug ee izens, ies) igi ficdes a a” | Lie us ue bo} a Fig. 1— Part progression for cold formed socket from 26 Fastener Technology ItematonalAugust 2007 a a ae] US Patent 4319934. (Image courtesy of Cary Padfield)socket where the ID has length to diameter ratio greater than 3:1. The final mechanical properties require a stel that ean be ‘quenched and tempered to a hardness of 48 52 HRC, which means using an alloy steel such as grade 8630 (S4E J404).. This type of part configuration and process sequence place ‘2 premium on material formability. In order to reduce the flow stress and strain hardening rate, a modified chemical ‘composition with lower Mn and Si levels was chosen, while B was added to improve hardenability during oil quenching The wire was spheroidize annealed at finish size to produce a microstructure consisting of atleast 70% coarse spheroids Nominal mechanical properties were 6, = 285 MPa, Oyyq~ 470 MPa, elongation = 30%, and hardnss of 76-80 HRB ‘The forming sequence consists of a square up (enclosed «die upset) inthe first di, backward extrusion of the hexagon shape in the second die, backward extrusion of the clearance recess in the third die, followed by simultaneous forward- backward extrusion ofthe bolt clearance recess and the square drive recess in the fourth die, and finally piercing ofthe center web in the last station, Forming forces for each stage can be calculated using data from the patent and formulas contained ina numberof the references previously mentioned, such as, Handbook of Metal Forming ot National's QUIKCALC PLUS, software. For example, the forming force for an enclosed die upset can be estimated using the formula: FS AxP (1+ud/3L) Where A is the area associated with the main diameter d, P is the punch pressure pis a fiction factor, and L isthe overall length. The punch pressure is given in the patent as 200 ksi (1380 MPa), which is representative of an enclosed upset with a large amount of die wall contact and an alloy steel with a Company Profile. ZF Sachs, the Powertrain and Suspension Components. divi sion of ZF Group. develops and produces vibration dampers and other components for chassis regulation as well as car and CV converters and clutches. Sachs roduets are now produced or ‘sold at 21 locations in 13 coun- tries. The ZE Group is among the 1 fifteen companies on the ranking list of the largest auto- ‘motive suppliers worldwide. high flow stress. Using a typical friction factor of 0.15 the force in stage one is: Fe n(18.2/2)*%1380[14%4(0.15)(18.2/33.2)] = 369kN ‘or about 37.6 metric tons ‘There are several formulas for estimating extrusion foree, With one simple formula for maximum extrusion force: Fea PalA- A) ‘where Py is the maximum punch pressure and A, and A, are the original and final cross-sectional area. Using the fourth stage as an example, the punch pressure is quite high at 260- 280 ksi (1790-1930 MPa) due to the strain hardening from the previous three steps and the 43% area reduetion for the cylindrical recess, so the maximum force ean be ealculated 8 260-280 KN (26.5-28.6 metric tons). Figure 2 is a tool layout for cold forming this type of socket. The developed process was run at 5S parts/minute with only 6% serap due tothe piercing operation. An extrusion oil with a high concentration of EP additive (12% sulfurized fat in mineral oil) was used due to the high pressure and high surface enlargement. Conclusion Leaming cold forming can be a daunting task. Experience really is the best teacher, and seeking out those with experi- ence will always prove helpful, if for no other reason than to confirm the need for further investigation. The references included in this article are useful resources when searching for more information. Peni Fig, 2— Tool layout for cold formed socket (after Sieber, Proc. of the S* International Cold Forging Congress, Sheet Metal Industries, Redhill, Surrey, UK). ‘mage courtesy of Cory Padfield) ‘August 2007/Fastener Technology Inerations| 27