Designing and manufacturing aircraft forgings require the comprehensive use of multiple knowledge areas, including materials science, mechanical design, manufacturing processes, numerical simulation, and testing techniques.
Firstly, during the forging design process, factors such as the forging’s external structure, size, stress state, and loading conditions must be considered to determine its final form. This forms the basis for specific material selection and manufacturing process design.
Secondly, the choice of alloy material used in forgings must be made based on design requirements and usage conditions. Different alloy materials have different physical and chemical properties and manufacturing process characteristics, thus requiring material selection based on distinct usage conditions to obtain optimal performance and quality.
Manufacturing process is an important factor that ensures the quality of aircraft forgings. During the manufacturing process, appropriate processing methods, including forging, heat treatment, and machining, must be determined based on the forging’s design requirements and material characteristics. A reasonable manufacturing process makes it possible to ensure the material uniformity and strength of the forging while minimizing factors that may lead to defects and deficiencies.
Numerical simulation technology is also widely used in forging design and manufacturing processes. Through numerical simulation, changes and deformations a forging might sustain during the manufacturing process can be accurately predicted, allowing optimizing material selection and manufacturing processes, improving forgings’ quality, and performance.
A production example is the high-strength aluminum alloy forging from an aircraft manufacturer. During the forging’s development process, designers defined the correct forging weight, size, stress conditions, and selected appropriate material and manufacturing process using structural design and stress analysis. Advanced heat treatment and machining equipment were employed during manufacturing processes to acquire uniform material organization and geometric dimensions. Numerical simulation technology was also utilized to adjust processing parameters and reduce possible faults and deficiencies.
In conclusion, designing and producing aircraft forgings require utilizing proficiently knowledge and skill of multiple intelligence fields. Only by fully mastering and applying these areas of knowledge and skills can high-quality, reliable, and safe aircraft forgings be produced.
