What is closed forging? This is a manufacturing and metal shaping process that is done at room temperature or below the temperature of the metal’s recrystallization. It involves inserting a bar stock of metal into a die and squeezed by a second die to create a metal into the intended configuration.
Well, it’s not as simple as it looks. There are several cold forging process steps involved. But a lot of manufacturers like the process because it’s an economical and efficient way of deforming metals to produce high metal parts at low costs.
Forging is done with three temperatures- cold, hot, and warm. Unlike hot and warm forging, cold forging deforms the bar stock and shapes it via compressive forces. These metal workpieces are hammered, pounded, and bent into dies to achieve the final shape.
Do you want to know more about the cold forging process? Keep reading.
Steps involved in the cold forging process
1. Lubrication:
This is the first stage of any cold forging process. Before forging, manufacturers treat the metal workpiece with a lubricant to avoid it sticking to the die and to maintain its coolness when it starts forming
2. Insertion:
The next stage is the insertion stage. The metal is kept on a die that has the supposed shape of the final parts. The die has two sections- one is under the metal workpiece, while the other is attached to the hammer. The hammer is the upper part, so it strikes the metal, produces the force, and deforms it to the intended shape.
3. Stroke:
The stroke can be gotten by three mechanisms- mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic. Each mechanism drives the shaft downwards with great force to produce the intended shape. This process can happen so fast. Sometimes, the hammer may drop consecutively to produce the intended shape and contour.
4. Flash:
This is excess metal around the die. It protrudes from the metal body as a thin plate, just at the intersection where the dies meet. It is also eliminated during trimming. Now, you may be saying that the flash isn’t important since it will be trimmed off anyway. No. The flash is essential because it compels the metal to fill the die completely. It restricts metal flow, thus creating a perfect impression.
5. Removing parts:
Now, this step depends on the type of process. Most modern manufacturers automate this process using a robotic hand or a conveyor. This measure saves cost when it comes to material handling.
Now that you know the steps involved in cold forging, what are the benefits involved? Why can’t manufacturers go for warm or hot forging instead? What do they gain by using this process?
Let’s find out
Importance of cold forging
There are several benefits of cold forging, but a few will be outlined here- it is very affordable when you consider the pre-processing, temperature, and finishing of other forging processes, it is environmentally friendly, produces faster, enhanced quality, long die life, removes negative reactions, has a high rate of production output, and several economic benefits.
