FORGING
The Introduction
What is Forging?
Forging is the
manufacturing process of
hammering, pressing or
rolling metal into shape.
Types of Forging
1. Cold Forging
2. Hot Forging
3. Press Forging
4. Impact Forging
Cold Forging
Cold forging is a metal shaping
process that deforms and
compresses a piece of raw
material under a press and die.
Unlike hot or warm forging, the
technique takes place at room
temperature to improve the
parts’ mechanical properties.
Types of Cold Forging
Open-die forging: Raw material
is placed between flat dies that do
not enclose the workpiece. The
compressive force of the dies
deforms the metal piece until the
desired shape is achieved.
Closed-die forging: To form the
desired end product, the workpiece is
compressed and deformed between
one or more custom-shaped dies
where it flows to fill the shaped-die
cavity. Excess material, called flash,
is subsequently trimmed off.
Hot Forging
Hot forging is a metal shaping
process that involves heating a
metal part to a high temperature and
then deforming it into a desired
shape.
Types of Hot Forging
Drop forging
The most common hot forging
process, drop forging is used to
produce a wide range of parts in
large quantities.
Closed die forging
In this process, two shaped metal
plates are pressed against a
workpiece to deform it into the
shape of the plates.
Press Forging
Press forging is a method of
forming a piece of metal into a
specific shape by applying gradual
pressure on a shaped die holding
the metal.
Types of Press Forging
Mechanical Press Forging
A mechanical press forging is powered by
a motorized flywheel that transfers
energy into a ram that slowly applies
pressure to the die. A mechanical forge
press is commonly confused with a
hammer press, but it uses multiple,
quickly repeated hits and works within
one long motion.
Hydraulic Press
A hydraulic press uses water pressure to
create the force pushing down the metal.
Hydraulic works best with “open die,”
which means that the ram pressing down
is a flat surface, and so it presses the
metal flat.
Impact Forging
Impact forging is
essentially hammer
forging in which both
dies are moved
horizontally,
converging on the
workpiece.
Different Forging Operations
Roll forging
A heated metal bar is passed
between two grooved cylinders to
achieve the desired dimensions.
This process is often used to make
hardware like axles and leaf
springs.
Edging
Edging is a metalworking process
used in forging to concentrate
material into a specific area,
usually at the ends of a workpiece
Fullering
In forging, fullering is a process that
involves reducing the cross-section of a
workpiece while lengthening it. The
process is done by using a convex-shaped
die, called a fuller, to spread the metal
away from the forging area.
Piercing and Punching
It is the operation of production of a
hole in a sheet metal by the punch
and die.
Swaging
swaging is a forging process that
involves the use of compressive forces
to deform and manipulate the shape of a
workpiece via a die.
Types of Forging Defects
1. Unfilled section [Link] cracking
2. Scale pits [Link] forging penetration
3. Cold shut [Link] stress in forging
4. Die shift [Link] filling of dies
5. Improper grain growth [Link] at the flash
6. Flakes [Link] cracks
1 . Unfilled Section
This type of forging defect arises when
areas within the product have not been
fully filled, as the name implies. The
main reasons for this defect are poor
die design, poor raw material, and poor
forging techniques.
2. Scale Pits
Scale pits are also common types of
forging defects caused by improper
cleaning of the forged surface. Because
of this, it create small cracks or holes in
the metal. When forging in the open
environment, scale pits are common.
3. Cold Shut
Cold shut defects are usually available to
see when small cracks occur at the corners
of the workpiece. There are a number of
reasons why these defects can occur,
including an improperly designed forging
die, sharp corners on an object, and an
excessive cooling process after the forged
product is forged.
4. Die Shift
Die shift is also a common type of
forging defect. These defects can
occur when the upper and lower dies
are not properly aligned with each
other.
5. Flakes
Flakes are forging defects caused by
improper cooling of the forging
product. Specifically, it is internal
cracks in the forged parts that are
caused by the quick cooling of the
forged parts, which reduces the
strength of the forged parts.
6. Improper Grain Growth
Improper grain growth is also a forging
defect usually caused by improper flow
of the metal during the casting process.
7. Surface Cracking
Surface cracks are temperature-
related forging defects. These
types of forging defects appear
when forging operations are
carried out at low temperatures.
8. Incomplete Forging Penetration
As the name suggests, this forging defect occurs when forging is incomplete. It is
mainly caused by light or sharp hammer blows leading to incomplete forging.
9 Residual Stress in Forging
A residual stress is a phenomenon caused by non-proper cooling of the forging parts
during the forging process. Residual stresses result in significant plastic deformation,
leading to the distortion of an object.
10. Incomplete Filling of Dies
This is another type of forging defect which usually occurs due to loss of metal
content. In addition to an insufficient amount of metal, there are many reasons
for this, such as an insufficient number of blows, wrong die design, or low
temperature of the stock.
11. Cracking at the Flash
There are several cracks in this flash when it is trimmed off. One of these cracks
penetrates the interior of the flash. Such crack is known as cracking at the flash.
This is usually due to a very thin flash.