As a company focused on providing only the highest quality metalwork products to the companies and industries in need of castings, forgings and machining goods, we understand the importance of all the different types of processes involved in developing these products. We stay at the forefront of advanced techniques in the production of fabrications relating to the metalworking industry. One of these processes is forging and in this following post we will examine the differences between the different types of metal forgings available for producing high quality metal workings.What is Forging?
It is a good idea to begin with what “forging” is in respects to our metalworking industry. Forging is the process in metal works manufacturing where the metal is pressed, pounded or squeezed under great pressure into different unique parts, known as “forgings”. The metal used in this process is never melted, as it is in other processes relevant in this industry, and the process can be done using different techniques and temperatures; hot and cold.What is the Difference Between the Different Types of Forging? The difference between the different types of processes is the temperatures and the effects that the temperatures have on the process and forgings. First, cold forging involves impression die forging or true closed die forging with lubricant or circular dies at room temperature. In cold forging it is easier to impart directional properties, there is increased dimensional control and it handles high stress and high die loads. In this process, little to no finishing work is required and so it helps saves on the costs side of the product manufacturing. But on the flip side, this process is generally restricted to simple shapes being produced in high volumes.For more complex shapes and configurations, hot forging is required. The metal is deformed at a high enough temperature so that the recrystallization occurs simultaneously with the deformation in order to avoid strain hardening. In order to avoid oxidation of certain metals, a process refereed to as isothermal forging is used, and it simply refers to the deformation taking place in a vacuum. This forging technique allows for a more customized component production, however with this method there is a loss in precision for dimensional tolerance in the process.Essentially, when manufacturing a metal fabrication is important to consider the desired component and required functionality of the component when determining which forging method to utilize. At Ferralloy we supply high quality products and services to a wide range and diverse metalworking customer base. We are experts in the metalworking industry and can manufacture forgings to your exact specifications. Contact our metalworking supply company today if you have any additional questions on the types of manufacturing processes or products necessary for your metalworking business.