[Synergy of Technology×Technique]
1500-ton Forging Simulator—One of the World’s Largest Forging Simulators: Innovative Efforts to Meet Complex Testing Demands
Norie Motohashi
Materials Forming Unit Senior Engineer
- Processing Techniques
- Research Network and Facility Services Division Platforms
- Shared Facilities
- Women Engineers
The Materials Forming Unit supports materials research through a variety of services, including property testing, processing experimental equipment and components, designing and fabricating glassware for scientific experiments, and preparing samples. Among the various equipment, the most distinctive is the 1500-ton Forging Simulator.
Forging is a metalworking process that involves applying pressure to metal materials to shape them into desired forms while simultaneously enhancing their strength. The metal’s microstructure—and consequently, its mechanical properties—are significantly influenced by process conditions such as pressure, temperature, and cooling time. Understanding these correlations is a key research challenge. However, laboratory-scale small specimens often fail to replicate the phenomena occurring inside large metal components processed in industrial environments.
The 1500-ton Forging Simulator is one of the world’s largest forging testing machines, capable of isothermal hot working＊ at temperatures exceeding 1000℃. For instance, it can forge test specimens with diameters of up to 140 mm from materials with strengths of 800 MPa at 900℃. The simulator precisely controls strain rate, heating temperature, cooling methods, and times, enabling foundational research on materials and scientific analysis of metalworking techniques traditionally guided by skilled engineers’ intuition. This understanding is essential for preserving and advancing metalworking techniques. Custom-built with a hydraulic press, heating furnace, and cooling systems, this unique equipment is exclusively operated by our unit’s engineers.
* isothermal hot working
A method where both the metal and the die are kept at a constant temperature during processing.
Beyond simply operating the equipment, we continuously innovate by refining temperature control systems to enable more advanced isothermal forging tests. These efforts were recognized with the Research Support Award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for fiscal year 2023.
The simulator is also capable of processing metals into complex shapes. When researchers request unprecedented testing conditions, we adapt the equipment, design custom fixtures, and pursue the best possible solutions. During testing, we work closely with researchers in the field, reviewing and adjusting conditions as needed to meet specific research demands with precision.
1500-ton Forging Simulator
〈Usage Types〉
Staff-operated Service: NIMS staff operate the equipment and perform analysis on behalf of users.
