30th ICFG Plenary Meeting in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands

September 7-10, 1997

organized by the University of Technology, Eindhoven

The ICFG held its 30th Plenary Meeting from September 7 to 10, 1997, in s’Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. The meeting was attended by 40 members and 17 guests from Australia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, the UK and the USA.

Three new full members from Germany, Hungary and Spain as well as two new corresponding members from Hungary and the Netherlands were elected. In addition, the status of honorary membership was introduced at the Plenary Meeting and awarded to Prof. H. Kudo, Japan, Prof. K. Lange, Germany, Dr. H.Ll.D. Pugh and Dr. T.M.B. Sessions, both from the UK, for their outstanding activities and devotion to the ICFG from its beginning in 1967.

According to this, the present status of membership is: member countries 21, full members 46, corresponding members 7, emeritus members 4, honorary members 4. Since 1996, the chairman is Prof. Manfred Geiger, Germany, the technical secretary is Prof. Laszlo Cser, Hungary.

Currently four active ICFG subgroups are preparing guidelines and documents covering the following subjects: “Materials and Defects” (Chairman: Dr. V. Ollilainen, Finland), “Warm Forging” (Prof. T. Dean, UK), “Tool Life and Tool Quality” (Prof. L. Cser, Hungary), “Cold Forging of Aluminium” (Prof. N. Bay, Denmark).

At the technical sessions seven full and nine short presentations were presented on the following subjects: TOOL LIFE (analysis of tool life of cold forging dies and its improvement by high stiffness strip-wound containers); STEELS (IMAFORM high strength steel); LUBRICANTS (evaluation of cold and warm forging lubricants); WARM FORGING (ausforming process); SIMULATION (current state and developments, simulation of forming of microparts); PROCESS DESIGN (rotary swaging, precision forging of helical gear, CAOD techniques, rotary forging, punching of small holes).

Technical visits gave insight into well-known Dutch companies: AMEFO in Zwolle showed the cold forging and machining of Aluminium houses for airbags. The NEDSCHROEF plant in Helmond produces fasteners fulfilling the special demands of automobile industry. The PHILIPS centre for manufacturing technology in Eindhoven presented the precision forging of maskpins for TV sets.