You must accept cookies to view this content.
 
You must accept cookies to view this content.
 
You must accept cookies to view this content.
 
You must accept cookies to view this content.
What is forging?
Forging is a manufacturing process where metal is pressed, pounded or squeezed under great pressure into high strength parts known as forgings. The process is normally (but not always) performed hot by preheating the metal to a desired temperature before it is worked. It is important to note that the forging process is entirely different from the casting (or foundry) process, as metal used to make forged parts is never melted and poured (as in the casting process).

Why use forgings and where are they used?
The forging process can create parts that are stronger than those manufactured by any other metalworking process. This is why forgings are almost always used where reliability and human safety are critical. But you'll rarely see forgings, as they are normally component parts contained inside assembled items such a airplanes, automobiles, tractors, ships, oil drilling equipment, engines, missiles and all kinds of capital equipment - to name a few.

How many people are employed by the forging industry?
Approximately 35,000 people from coast to coast are employed by the forging industry in the United States and Canada. Because the modern forging process is capital intensive (requiring an abundance of heavy equipment for manufacture and the people to run and maintain it), most forging plants are small businesses which generally employ between 50 to 500 employees each, with a few larger facilities employing over 1,000 people.

What metals are forged?
Just about any metal can be forged. However, some of the most common metals include: carbon, alloy and stainless steels; very hard tool steels; aluminum; titanium; brass and copper; and high-temperature alloys which contain cobalt, nickel or molybdenum. Each metal has distinct strength or weight characteristics that best apply to specific parts as determined by the customer.

What kind of equipment is used to make forgings?
Although styles and drive systems vary widely, forgings can be produced on several types of equipment, including:
  • Hammers, which shape heated metal through repeated, controlled high-impact blows. Large industrial hammers may have ram weights measured in thousands of pounds.
  • Presses, which squeeze metal into shape using controlled vertical pressure. Large forging presses can exert forces of up to 60,000 tons or more, depending on the application.
  • Upsetters, which are specialized forging presses used horizontally for a process known as upsetting, often increasing the diameter of a bar or workpiece by compressing its length.
  • Ring rollers, which form seamless rolled rings by applying pressure to a pierced or hollow round workpiece as it rotates, expanding and shaping it into a one-piece ring with no welding required.