Status of process simulation using 2D and 3D finite element method - 'What is practical today? What can we expect in the future?'

Global competition requires that manufacturing industry utilizes practical and proven CAD, CAM and CAE techniques for rapid and cost effective process design and die manufacture. Thus, numerical simulation of bulk metal forming processes is increasingly applied to eliminate forming defects, predict and optimize process variables, and to predict stresses in dies for preventing premature die failure. This paper reviews the latest state of technology and describes several successful applications. Ongoing developments and future trends are also discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.