Adaptive calculation of pass sequences for open die forging

Open-die forging is one of the oldest forming processes in history, which has been continuously developed through technical innovations. The rapid development in the fields of measurement and control technology and the computing capacity of IT systems in recent decades offer the opportunity to take open-die forging to a higher level. In order to establish a fully autonomous forging process, a forging cell is being set up at the Institute of Metal Forming at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. It consists of two forging presses, a furnace and a KR 360 L280-2 robot arm from KUKA as a manipulator with a load capacity of up to 280 kg. A 3D scanning system allows to capture the workpiece geometry between individual pass sequences or even single press strokes. Additionally, the scanning system is equipped with three thermal imaging cameras, which record the surface temperature during a scan. A central computer controls all individual components of the forging cell