Rapid growth is seen in the forging industry these days. Different techniques are being implemented in it to make the process more efficient and effective, which is one of the primary reasons behind the growth of this industry. It is used primarily in machinery, construction, automotive, agriculture, and other industries.
Open die forging and closed die forging are primarily the two types of techniques used in this industry. Here is all that you must know about these processes and their applications: –
Open forging
This is the process where multiple dies are placed around the metal, but they do not enclose it completely. Rather the metal is restricted to one place. The pattern is made by beating the metal with a hammer so hard that it changes its shape to attain the final product. In this process, the metal is not heated, and the theory of pressure is used here.
This process is a rough one and does not need the die of a fixed size as it is done in an open space. It is suitable for creating metal parts that are larger in size. In this method, the wastage while creating the final product is minimum because only the required amount of metal is used up in the process. The best thing about this is that the texture and the grain structure of the final product of this process is uniform throughout its surface.
Closed forging
Here, a combination of extreme pressure and heating is used in a closed container to give the desired shape to the metal. The closure of the container is important here, but the heating process is carried out only if required. Heated metal bars are inserted inside the closed chamber of the die, which gradually starts taking the shape of the final product. This process is more accurate as compared to the other one and even requires a lesser number of machines to deliver the results.
When forged products are required to be created with a high level of precision and accuracy, this process is put to use. It helps create small metal objects that need a high level of detail which cannot be given by open forging. The most popular application of this process is in the automotive industry, where most of the tiny spare parts are created using this process. This is a good process to put the metal into testing and ensures that only strong products are created as the end-result of the process. This process has no limitations in terms of materials and can be applied to any metal.
You are now aware of the process that is used in both the types of forging and how it is applied to the industry. Both these processes have their own set of benefits and shortcomings. So, it is important that you assess the type of output that you want and the amount of money you can spend on it and then choose the process accordingly so that you can get better results.