Long Products Market Development Group Presents Updated Surface Finish Results at Forging Industry's Technical Conference

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Apr 05, 2011, 03:45 ET

DETROIT, April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Surface finish research results will provide updated information to help mechanical engineers design forged steel vehicle parts that are lightweight and cost efficient, according to Dr. Ali Fatemi from the University of Toledo, Ohio. Working in partnership with the Steel Market Development Institute's (SMDI) Long Products Market Development Group (LPMDG), Fatemi presented results of a surface finish study today at the Forging Industry Association's Technical Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Shaumburg, Ill.

In his presentation Surface Finish Effects of Fatigue Behavior of Forged Steel, Fatemi – a principal investigator of projects sponsored by SMDI, Long Products and the Forging Industry Educational and Research Foundation – discussed fatigue fractures, the most common type of mechanical failure of components and structures in vehicles that can result from a rough surface finish.

"Surface finish has a significant effect on fatigue behavior; and factors used in many mechanical engineering textbooks today to correct these conditions are based on data that is nearly 70 years old," David Anderson, director of SMDI's Long Products Market, said. "We encourage the use of this updated research in future textbooks, as it will provide engineers with the data to design optimized parts, providing automakers with low-mass and cost-effective designs."

The two-day conference showcases forging technology, including presentations on processes, materials and end-use markets, and provides a forum for students and professors to present their forging research.

Conditions evaluated in the research included: hardness levels; surface conditions; heating methods; bending loads; and forging flash and grain flow effects.

In addition to the presentation, highlights of advanced design engineering on steel forging technologies and improvements in weight, cost and performance were showcased at SMDI's Long Products exhibit during the conference.

For a copy of Fatemi's presentation, visit www.autosteel.org. A comprehensive paper, including data and analysis, is expected in the International Journal of Fatigue this spring, with final results expected to be available for download on the SMDI website by the end of summer.

The Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), a business unit of the American Iron and Steel Institute, grows and maintains the use of steel through strategies that promote cost-effective solutions in the automotive, construction and container markets, as well as for new-growth opportunities in emerging steel markets.

The Long Products Market Development Group (LPMDG), formed in 1997, provides a unique forum for long products steel producers. Through the support of SMDI, the LPMDG is growing the market for value-added steel bar and rod products. For more news or information, visit www.autosteel.org.

SMDI's Long Products Market Development Group investors: