Concurrent design and process optimization of forging

In this study, a concurrent design optimization methodology is proposed to minimize the cost of a cold-forged part using both product and process design parameters as optimization variables. The objective function combines the material, manufacturing, and post manufacturing costs of the product. The part to be optimized is a simply supported I-beam under a centric load. Various constraints are imposed related to the performance of the product in use and the effectiveness of manufacturing. Nelder–Mead is used as search algorithm and analyses are conducted using commercial finite element software, ANSYS. Results show considerable improvement in the cost.