Some progresses in physical simulation of forging operations: replicating thermal/mechanical history and evaluating force components

New experimental facilities have recently been developed and installed at the DIMEG Lab that are specifically designed for physical simulation experiments both on real and model materials. This paper illustrates some applications of these facilities and relevant simulative techniques to the analysis of bulk metal forming operations such as hot forging of turbine blades and hot rolling of steel plates. The presentation focuses on the most original aspects of the simulations that concern (i) the evaluation of the force and torque components applied to the dies during forging of complex parts and (ii) complementary aspects of physical and F.E. simulation with particular emphasis on precise replicating, under computer control, of local thermal-mechanical profiles that are predicted by F.E. codes