Further Development of Flashless Forging Operations for Flat Long Pieces

Flashless forging operations, which are also known as precision forging operations, generate high quality parts concerning the quality of surfaces and dimensional accuracy. Precision forging processes have been industrially established for axis-symmetric parts e.g. gearwheels and steering pinions. Further development of the technology to more complex parts e.g. helical gears, connecting rods and crankshafts is expected to lead to a wider implementation of the technology into forging industry. Heavy-duty automotive components offer a wide application field for flashless forged parts. Advantages like shortened production cycles which are achieved by eliminating machining operations and the saving of raw material contribute to the ongoing cost-saving trend in the automobile industry. The design process for complex precision forged parts has to fulfill special requirements to consider the distinctions of this technique. This article explains the adopted methods and a development process of a precision forging process describing the design of a connecting rod and a crankshaft.