Abstract
This article is thought as a contribution to the practical use of inverse analysis in the field of metal forming. The first part of the paper gives a short overview of the field of inverse analysis and the different algorithms to solve the mathematical problems, in the second part the application to different problems in metal forming is discussed. These include the validation of Finite Element Models, i.e. cross rolling, the determination of damage parameters and the determination of heat transfer coefficients for heat treatment simulations. It is shown that inverse analysis is a comfortable tool when lots of analysis data need to be handled efficiently.