4. Conclusion

Although they are capable of dressing axisymmetric parts (COPEST), setting up product ranges and associated quotations (OMEGAM©), or ensuring process control, forging decision support systems have had difficulty establishing themselves in industrial environments. The only exception is finite element numerical simulation software, a kind of decision support system, which has seen considerable growth in recent years. The explanation probably lies in the fact that the knowledge required for this type of software is purely scientific, and is provided a priori. As soon as the company's own knowledge and know-how have to be entered, the profitability no longer seems obvious, and reluctance sets in. We still need to demonstrate the added value and potential gains of forging decision-support systems, so that they can move beyond conceptual thinking and become operational tools in the factory of...