NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF FORGING A CONNECTOR FOR LIGHT VEHICLES FROM CAST MAGNESIUM ALLOY PREFORMS.

The article presents the results of numerical analysis of the new forging process of the connector forging from cast preform on hydraulic press. The high strength ZK60 alloy (belonging to the Mg-Zn-Zr group of Mg alloys) was selected to numerical tests. Currently, this part in the industry is produced by multi-stage forging consisting of operations: bending, preforming, and finishing. The use of the cast preform would enable forging this component in one operation. However, obtaining specific mechanical properties requires inducing a certain level of strain within the forged part. Therefore, the design of the preform, its shape and volume, is of paramount importance. In the work presented in this article, preforms of different shapes were designed and assessed using Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]