Mondragon Goi Eskola Politeknikoa JMA, S. Coop., the Faculty of Engineering of Mondragon University, is a high level integral educational cooperative, nonprofit and recognised as a public-benefit organisation. The Mondragon Faculty of Engineering started its academic activity in 1943, instigated by Father José María Arizmendiarrieta, that was also founder of Mondragon Cooperative experience. In 1997, Mondragon University was created by the association of three educational cooperatives, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Busisness Studies (ETEO) and the Faculty of Humanities and Education (HUHEZI). From then on, the University focuses all its academic activity on three main areas: graduate and postgraduate disciplines, lifelong professional learning, and research by developing industrial R&D projects for different businesses and processes.

The technology specialisation of Mondragon Engineering Faculty in 16 researchings groups spread from different knowledge areas. The researching model applied to the partner enterprises has a very focused way and the main goal is technology transfer to the industry, being the real engine for specialisation estrategy. The material processes are embeded in the "Material science, technology and processes" knowledge area, mainly dealing with cold and hot forging, and developed by "Advanced Material Forming Processes" reserching group. The activities developed in that reserching group are divided in 4 big bocks:

Material and workpiece/die contact advanced characterisation

Cold, warm, and hot forging process simulation by numerical simulation software

Die and forming shape desing and fine-tuning and improvement to increase productivity

Prototypes and demostrators forging and geometry, mechanic and microstructural validation

Material advanced characterisation

- Tensile and compressive stress test from enviroment temperature to 1,500 ºC
- Torsion test from enviroment temperature to 1,500 ºC
- Termophysical properties characterisation below 1,500 ºC
- Microstructural analysis of grain size

Tribologic and contact characterisation

- Ring test using heated tooling and sesorised presses
- T-Shape and Spike test heated tooling and sesorised presses
- Heat transfer coeficient characterisation test

Processes numerical simulation

- Material filling simulation for optimisation purposes (filling and wrinkles)
- Forming steps and geometry optimisation for increasing tooling lifecycle
- Preforming step designing
- Recristalisation model development for grain size prediction

Tooling design and prototype forging

- Die design following automative standards
- Demostrators forging on 125 t mechanical press, 150 t hydraulic press and 400 t servomechanical press
- Bench mark test for mechanical and fatigue properties validation
- Final forged parts digitalisation

Loramendi, 4. P. O. box 23
E-20500 Arrasate-Mondragón (Gipuzkoa). Spain
Tel.: +34 943 712 185
Fax: +34 943 712 193
info@mondragon.edu