Turning steel into the finished component often requires a process consisting of numerous steps as well as high energy consumption, especially in the case of hot forming. In this context, digital transformation can help to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and improve the process’ carbon footprint. The potential annual reductions are equivalent on average to the electricity consumption of almost 400,000 private households.
Numerous metal parts are only transformed into their desired shape through forming steps such as free-form forging, die forging or rolling. But the processes involved are energy-intensive. Project partners from the steel production and fabrication markets are aiming to consistently map the processes during hot forming by combining the casting process with forming simulation to realise additional energy-saving potential. Another objective of the Fraunhofer Society’s SiPro research project is to boost manufacturing quality, given that less waste also helps to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and improve carbon footprints.
In a simulation-based process chain optimisation, the project partners are examining the full range of production processes from steel casting to the finished component. The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology (IWU) reports that the aim here is to take the virtual representation of these processes to a new level in the form of an optimised digital twin. By their nature, forming processes utilise any material to a high degree – there is little or no loss of volume. If overall energy efficiency could be improved, significant further reductions could be made to the environmental footprint of various forming processes.
In the project, the models developed are verified by comparing the process simulations with validation tests for primary moulding processes (metal casting processes) and forming processes. At the same time, most of the industrial partners’ processes are being digitally transformed using measurement technology, so that the simulation interface between primary and re-forming processes that has been developed can be tested on real industrial processes. The digital twin generates the maximum amount of additional information, unlocking significant technological advantages for the project partners.
Once developed and validated, the process chain simulation is then used to optimise the different production steps involved in heat treatment and forming. The goal: to significantly reduce the processing and treatment temperature and cut process lead times while maintaining the same component properties. Opportunities from evaluating the simulations to improve quality and reduce scrap are also being seized. Finally, the partners will test out the optimised conditions in industrial processes to reliably quantify the potential CO₂ savings.
The project partners consider it realistic that they could achieve a reduction of up to 10% in the consumption of electricity and gas along the entire hot forming process chain. Based on Germany’s annual production of rolled steel (around 30 million tonnes), the theoretical potential for electricity and gas reduction is around 4,920,000 gigajoules a year. When converted, this could save 1,367 gigawatt hours per year, which is equivalent to the average annual electricity consumption of almost 400,000 private households.
Research on Fraunhofer IWU’s SiPro team is focusing on process simulation and practical tests in hot forming, including upstream and downstream heat treatment processes for forged pieces created by die forging and ring rolling.
In addition to Chemnitz University of Technology and Freiberg University of Mining and Technology, the other project partners include steel company Georgsmarienhütte, Mannstaedt, Schmiedewerke Gröditz, die forging business Gesenkschmiede Schneider, Magma Gießereitechnologie, Hexagon and Dirostahl.
Source: Fraunhofer IWU
