Three-dimensional rigid-plastic FEM simulation of metal forming processes

A three-dimensional finite element modeling (FEM) code for simulation of bulk forming processes has been developed. Some techniques, such as die surface description, contact judgment algorithm, and remeshing, are proposed to improve the robustness of the numerical solution. To verify the proposed method, the isothermal forging process of a cylindrical housing has been simulated. The simulation results show that the given techniques and FEM code are reasonable and feasible for three-dimensional bulk forming processes.