FEM  Forging

The Forging Industry Needs Better Training Materials

FEM Forging Competency Framework

The main aim of this Leonardo da Vinci European Transfer of Innovation project was to promote the effective use of numerical analysis by using Finite Elements for the present and future workforce, in the forging sector. It accomplished this by setting out the skills that forging engineers, technicians and designers should have to be competent in using numerical analysis.

Among the activities within the seven sub sectors of Metals Production, the forging, metal coating and mechanical engineering sector is one of the largest, with 158,000 organisations providing employment for 1.4 million people (Eurostat 2006). Challenges faced by this sector therefore have indirect consequences on many other economic areas.

The project deliverables included:

• A new vocational continuous training course program at basic, intermediate and advanced level.
• An industry needs survey to identify the competencies needed in the forging sector.
• Benchmarking technology for carrying out case studies.

The project designed, developed and validated a catalogue of competencies, an educational program and materials to deliver both e-learning and face to face training on the Simulation Technologies that should be applied to Hot, Warm and Cold Forging Processes.

Users are both current and future technicians and engineers within the forging sector, VET Students of Second Cycle Mechanical Manufacturing and Students of Industrial Engineering, all wishing to become FEM Forging Specialists.

The FEM Forging project has evolved from the previous EASIT2 and MAIATZ SIMULFORM European projects. Partners of both previous projects participated in the partnership, with a wealth of FEM experience, along with forging and educational knowledge.

NAFEMS was a core partner on this exciting project, which commenced on 1stOctober 2012 and ran for 24 months.

If you would like to be kept up-to-date or would like to get involved in FEM Forging, please get in touch by emailing jo.davenport@nafems.org.

Leonardo da Vinci Project

Project Partners