The manufacturing industry needs metals to make thousands of consumer products used across the world. These things range from simple items like needles used in hospitals to complex machinery like planes and excavators. Two things allow fabricators to achieve such a range of results. The first one is different types of metals. Essentially, you can find metals in soft and hard forms, which enables fabricators to match the result with the raw material. Secondly, fabricators can choose from several fabrication techniques to convert the raw material into a final product. The following piece focuses on metal forging, a common fabrication used by fabricators in the manufacturing industry:

Metal Forging Defined

Forging a metal refers to a manufacturing process used to shape a metal through pressing, hammering and rolling. The compressive forces deform the metal from its original shape and convert into a configuration that suits the fabricator's needs. Usually, fabricators define classify metal forging according to the temperature at which they perform it. The process falls into hot, warm or cold forging. 

The Techniques Employed

• Drop forging

Drop forging is one of the most rudimentary techniques involved. During the process, the fabricator drops a hammer on the metal to mould it into the die's shape. Essentially, the die refers to the surface of the material that encounters the metal when the hammer strikes. They often have a flat shape. Fabricators take on drop forging in two ways. The first one is smith forging, often referred to as open-die forging. During this process, there is no absolute confinement of the metal within the die. Instead, the hammer hits and deforms the material on an immobile anvil. The second method is impression-die or close-die metal forging where the metal sits on an anvil. When fabricating, the metal flows into the die cavities and fills them.

• Press Forging

Just as the name suggests, press forging relies on force or pressure rather than impact. Slow rams travel over the metal to ensure that the deformation hits the core of the metal and affects the material uniformly. Furthermore, the fabricator can regulate the compression rate, enabling them to control the internal strain on the metal for more precise results. 

Forging and Metal Strength

Many people would be concerned about the metal's strength after taking it through an intense deformation process. However, forging is excellent for enhancing metal strength and delivering robust products. The heating and pressing of the metal seals empty spaces and cracks in the original metal material, which improves the metal strength.

For more information, contact a metal fabricator in your area.