Manufacturing Disciplines

Manufacturing Disciplines Index

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Manufacturing Disciplines

Forging - An Overview

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Forging is the technique of shaping metal by applying pressure to it in a controlled way. It is the oldest known method of forming metal, and is still important in industry because it produces parts that are significantly stronger for their weight than parts made by casting or machining. Since forged parts are shaped by making the metal flow into its final shape, the metal takes on a directional grain structure that accounts for the superior strength of the parts.

In smith forging, the process traditionally used by blacksmiths, a metal bar is heated until it becomes soft and begins to glow then pounded into the desired shape with a hammer, often against a convex block called an anvil or a concave block called a die to give it a specific shape. A powered hammer is usually used, but an operator must move the part under the hammer to make the metal into the proper shape. This makes hand forging mainly appropriate for small numbers of parts, since it is fairly slow and requires a skilled operator to make high-quality parts.

In die forging, the metal is beaten between two matching steel blocks with specially shaped depressions in them, called dies. As the metal is hammered between the dies, it assumes the same shape as the depressions, and when it reaches its final shape, it is taken out to cool and another piece of metal is put between the dies. This process produces strong parts that are of a precise shape, but requires a larger investment for the specialized dies. Upset forging increases the diameter of a piece of metal by flattening it. It is generally used to make small parts, especially to form heads on fasteners like bolts and nails.

Forging can be used to produce a single part or many thousands, and is especially useful for making parts that need to be strong, like bolts and hammers. Its main disadvantage is its fairly slow speed and lack of automation, which makes it more expensive when large numbers of a part have to be produced.

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Forging Processes Supported

Cold Forging
Die Forging
Drop Forging
Duplex Forging

Hard Forging
Hot Forging
Precision Forging
Upset Forging