Brite-Euram project with 10 partners focusing on development of the finite element method to 3D problems for the application as a process and product development and quality assurance system related to metal forming production. Research work at IPT is associated with development of realistic constitutive laws describing: 1. the material behaviour in cold forming operations involving non-linear strain paths, 2.the tool/workpiece interface conditions as regards friction in cold as well as warm forging and heat transfer in warm forging. Furthermore IPT has the task to verify 3-D FEM analyses of forging simple primitives as well as complex industrial components.