20th International Forgemasters Meeting - IFM 2017

High pace rate progressive reduction is the core of traditional radial forging process. Design based on eccentric shafts or crankshafts with mechanical synchronization of the 4 hammers has no equal in terms of precision, rigidity, speed. However, each single deformation is short and typically does not allow the plastic field to reach the center of the work piece. Therefore, unless hollow shapes are processed, the traditional hammering of solid pieces usually requires a previous deep forging stage, with a number of heats and additional open die forging facility. Danieli Breda has developed a new hybrid machine, called RF2, which couples in one equipment the advantages of hydraulic forging with 2 or 4 hammers and the high speed and precision of mechanical hammering. By means of a patented principle, the machine is automatically switched from one mode to the latter in a few seconds within the working cycle, allowing the piece to be fully processed in one heat with the best possible quality results both in terms of minimum FBH in the center and surface finishing. An advanced process control system precisely coordinate the press with the manipulators, managing the full working cycle in automatic, manual or semi-automatic mode. The best forging cycles for each product and material are provided by an offline calculation software developed with Danieli R&D department, which capitalizes the extensive experience in all the hot working fields of steel.