Physical simulation of metallurgical processes
Fizikalna simulacija metalurških procesov

english

2010

volume 44, issue 3

Inštitut za kovinske materiale in tehnologije
(Obvezni izvod spletne publikacije)

Worldwide demand of better and more efficient metallurgical processes, leading to low costs of their products, stimulates intensive research to reach these goals. In this respect, any full-scale industrial experiments appear non-acceptable. Cutting off the R&D costs and fast introducing of new technologies is possible when physical and numerical simulations are used. The computer simulation can be only correct when exact data of materials behaviour at processing conditions are known. To obtain the data, physical simulation is needed and it must be executed on multi-purpose thermal-mechanical testing devices accurately reproducing the real industrial processing conditions. For continuous casting or metal forming, individual phases of processes or multi-step operations must be followed, characterized by their time, temperature, and by applied forces, strains and strain rates. Actually the physical simulation, as compared with full-scale industrial testing, allows in a fraction of time for a fraction of cost an improvement of existing technology or development of a new one for modern materials and products. It can be used for solving production problems due to solidification phenomena or deformability limits, which result in hot cracking and rejection of the product. In this paper several examples of physically simulated procedures are given and their physical background discussed.

30.01.2012