PASS SCHEDULE OPTIMAL-DESIGN IN MULTIPASS EXTRUSION AND DRAWING BY FINITE-ELEMENT METHOD

Abstract

A finite element-based approach is presented for pass schedule optimal design in multi-pass extrusion and drawing. A basic formulation of the design problem is described, with emphasis on employing the criterion of minimum forming energy as a basis for optimization. The procedure for calculating the design sensitivities is given, and a numerical test is conducted to evaluate the accuracy of the predicted design sensitivities. The approach is applied to the problem of optimizing the pass schedule in extrusion and wire-drawing under various design constraints. Comparison is made between the optimal and initial design to examine the effect of optimization on the process and product.