Forging Enhancements

The latest Forging process model (CMV270) includes the following enhancements to closed-die forging:

Please note that this is the third consecutive release in a series of planned incremental enhancements to the closed-die Forging manufacturing process model. Additional enhancements will be released with aP Pro 2025 R1 SP2 in Forging CMV280. Customers who already are using a configured closed-die Forging model may wish to delay upgrading their manufacturing process model until these additional enhancements are available. Please consult your aPriori account team or aPriori Support for planning purposes.

New Induction Oven Process

The Forging process group now provides an Induction Oven process in addition to the Preheat process that was available in previous releases.

Induction Heating is one of the most common methods for heating billets prior to forging. The latest Forging process (CMV270) provides the new process Conveyor Induction Heat, available in the Mechanical Press routing. Conveyor induction ovens are popular for high production volumes and are often used in conjunction with mechanical presses.

The model provides six new virtual machines with varying length of conveyor to accommodate different billet sizes and throughput requirements.

The model has a number of feasibility and machine checks to ensure the billet can be heated using a conveyor induction oven. The main checks include:

  • Billet width or diameter. Billets greater than four inches are assumed to be too large to heat with a conveyer induction oven. A new cost model variable, inductionHeatMaxStockWidth, controls this upper limit. aPriori also checks that the billet size will fit inside the machine by checking the coil diameter of the machine selected.

  • Billet length-to-width ratio is checked to ensure it is sufficiently large, so that the billet will remain as originally oriented and not tip over as the conveyer moves, blocking the process line. This check is controlled by the cost model variable inductionHeatMinMultRatio.

The required heat time for the billet is calculated mechanistically using the billet size, material properties, and machine power. The heat time and length of machine are used to calculate the optimal conveyor speed and hence shortest achievable cycle time for the oven process. Billets are assumed to be fed directly into the press after heating (that is, they are not buffered). The press is assumed to run continuously, so the rate at which mults are loaded into the oven is adjusted if necessary to balance the line. If a single oven cannot keep up with the press, multiple ovens are assumed to feed the press.

Note that the custom output Bottleneck Process is Mechanical Press if the press cycle is longer than the shortest achievable oven cycle; otherwise the Bottleneck Process is Conveyor Induction Heat. Another output, Induction Heat Time, displays the amount of time a mult must remain in the oven.

aPriori will continue to evaluate the existing Preheat (gas oven) process, in addition to the new Conveyor Induction Heat process, and select the most cost-effective method for heating the billet for a given scenario.

Full Sustainability Support

The latest Forging process model (CMV270) provides carbon estimates for all processes.

The latest Forging process model (CMV270) introduces sustainability to the Forging process group, calculating material carbon and process carbon estimates for all processes in the model. The methodology used matches the approach taken by other aPriori manufacturing models. Material carbon emissions are calculated using material carbon emission factor data from EcoInvent. Process carbon emissions are based on the processing time and energy used to run the machines and regionalized energy carbon factors from EcoInvent. The three exceptions for process carbon consumption are Hammer, Mechanical Press, and Conveyor Induction Heat, where the model has calculated the energy required to heat or deform the billet, allowing a more mechanistic energy calculation compared to calculating carbon-based process times.

Mechanistic Tooling and Improved Machine Selection for Mechanical Press

In the latest Forging process model (CMV270), the Mechanical Press process is auto evaluated and includes a mechanistic tooling model and enhanced machine selection logic.

Last release, aPriori introduced the Mechanical Press process to the Forging manufacturing process group. This release enhances the latest Forging process model (CMV270) to include a mechanistic tooling model for Mechanical Press, as well as additional machine selection logic. In addition, the Mechanical Press process routing now is automatically evaluated; previously it had to be selected (“pinned”) explicitly.

The mechanistic tooling model follows similar principles to other tooling models where the key cost drivers are accounted for bottom up:

  • Material cost

  • Machining time and cost

  • Tool life (defining how many tools are required for the production volume)

  • Optional tool plating (which in turn drives cost and tool life)

The machine selection logic now considers:

  • Press Force check (available in previous release)

  • Daylight check to ensure the billet and forged part can be loaded onto and unloaded from the machine

  • Shut Height check to ensure the machine can accommodate the mold

  • Table Dimensions check to ensure the tool can fit on the machine bed

Hammer Process No Longer Auto Evaluated

The Hammer process must be manually selected in the latest Forging process model (CMV270).

In the latest Forging process model (CMV270), the Hammer closed-die forging routing is still available, but now aPriori evaluates it only if you select it manually.

Note that, in rare cases, this change can result in aPriori selecting a different stock compared to the previous release, since the optimal stock for Mechanical press may differ from the optimal stock for Hammer.

Regionalized Tooling Estimates in Forging

Previously, tooling investment for some Forging processes was not sensitive to the Tool Shop Digital Factory's region. The latest Forging process model (CMV270) fixes the issue.

Previously, for the Hammer, Press, and Trim processes, the Forging manufacturing process model calculated the same tooling cost for every region. The tooling model for these processes now considers geographic region, resulting in more accurate tooling estimates.