Utilizing notch designs on upsetting test for improving forgeability evaluation capability

Traditionally, upsetting test is used to obtain the forgeability of the test material. Although this test method is easy and simple, it still reaches its limit when it is used on high ductility materials. Fracture behaviors are hard to be recognized in these extreme cases, and the deformation of the specimen is difficult to measure and define. Thus, notch designs were applied on the upsetting test for accelerating the fracture energy consumption and fracture initiation. In this paper, different notch designs were applied on the upsetting test. The FEM software DEFORM-3D was used to analyze the stress and strain states of the fracture locations, and then verified by the experimental data. An indicator, Energy Consumption Rate, was used to evaluate these designs, and showed good evaluating capability.