Abstract
In this study, response surface analysis has been adopted to optimize the design variables in the hot forging of outer ring hub. It was also combined with the rigid-plastic finite element analysis. Forging process was divided into three steps. Also, design variables, the height of billet after upsetting and the angles of inclined die surface within upper and lower die, were selected to consider the proper metal flow into die cavity. The response surface methodology is used to find the minimum under-fill by the variation of design variables. The rigid-plastic finite element codes, AFDEX/2D and DEFORM-3D were used to analyze the two-dimensional and three-dimensional forging processes, respectively. It was found that the metal flow of forged product was good agreement with the results of FE-analysis.