Hot Forging Process Overview

Forging technology occupies a very important place among all the manufacturing processes as it produces parts with excellent properties and with minimal wastage. Through a series of operations, metals with very simple geometry are physically deformed into products of complex configuration.

In the forging process the metal is heated up by applying compressive force and given shape by plastic deformation. The compressive force is applied by hammer blows using a power hammer or a press. Powered by compressed air, hydraulics electricity or steam. The weight of the hammer can be 500 pounds to thousands of pounds. Forging has the capacity to refine the grain structure and improve the physical properties of the metal.

Forging products are consistent, without the defects of porosity, inclusion or voids, finishing operations like machining and coating operations like painting or plating can also be done very easily.

Cold Forging Process Overview

This process is a variation of the impression die forging. Cold forging process can be of many types, like cold heading, bending, cold drawing, to get a diverse range of products. The Essential components of the cold forging process are the die material and shape, the workpiece material, lubricant and the temperature.

Cold forging is generally done at room temperature or at a temperature where there is no changes in the micro structure of the metal. It's a compressive process where metal workpieces are plastically shaped by contoured dies by squeezing it between the dies.

The process starts with a chemically lubricated bar slug forced inside a closed die under very high pressures. The metal then flows and takes the desired shape. The Material used can be lower end alloys and carbon steels to 300 and 400 series stainless steel, selected aluminum alloys, bronze and brass.

 Note: The above refers to TheMetalCasting.com