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Hot forging of complex geometrical components such as joint crosses is highly sensitive to process parameter variations, leading to geometric deviations and increased scrap rates under industrial conditions. A reliable modelling of the forming process, taking varying process parameters into account, is therefore essential for improving process stability and enabling model-based quality assurance. This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation of a hot forging process of joint crosses made of 1.7225 steel. A numerical model is built using the finite element (FE) software Simufact.Forming 25, consisting of inhomogeneous induction heating, billet transfer and single-stage forging. The predicted temperature field obtained from induction heating is validated by experimental temperature measurements at discrete thermocouple positions, showing deviations of less than 4%. The billet, along with its temperature distribution is subsequently transferred to a thermo-mechanically coupled forming simulation. A reduced 90° symmetry approach is employed to ensure computational efficiency while accurately capturing material flow, contact interactions and geometric feature formation under industrially relevant forging conditions. The numerical results are validated by comparing simulated and experimental force–displacement curves, showing accurate prediction of the maximum forming force with a deviation of <1% and good agreement in the overall curve shape. The validated model provides a robust foundation for future process optimisation and systematic sensitivity-based parameter identification.
Keywords: Finite element method, induction heating, hot forging, joint cross forging© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.