Isothermal closed-die forming process of magnesium alloy upper receiver: numerical simulation and experiments

An isothermal closed-die forming process, including two forging procedures in which the female die of the final forging procedure is split into two parts, was developed, and a very complex component of magnesium alloy called the upper receiver was successfully produced. The obtained forged piece has higher mechanical properties and meets the standard of being safely used in special machines. Based on the FORGE software platform, finite element (FE) simulation was used to determine the preform shape, processing parameters, and forging procedure. A closed-die cavity was formed during the final forging procedure, which can effectively enhance the workability of magnesium alloy, refine the grain sizes, and increase the strength of the component. Importantly, the forged piece has homogeneous microstructures, and the ultimate tensile strength located at the lateral and bottom positions of the upper receiver is greater than 396 MPa and the minimum of the elongation ratio at fracture is 15%.