Cold Forging

ForceBeyond has been supplying cold forging products to multiple industries for more than a decade. We have helped our customers maximize supply chain efficiency and improved production costs. With our extensive cold forging knowledge and experience, ForceBeyond has also helped our customers consolidate their supplier base. Our customers with cold forging needs are from a scope of industries such as energy, automotive, bus, heavy duty truck, marine, rail etc.

What Is Cold Forging?

Cold forging deforms metal below its recrystallization point – near to or at room temperature. A preferred forging method for softer metals (such as aluminum), cold forging is less expensive and has the ability to produced forged parts that require little or no finishing processes.

How are Cold Forgings Made?

Basically, cold forging process entails bar stock to be inserted into a die and then squeezed with a second closed die. Similar to the cold heading process (the difference that cold forging makes use of vertical presses instead of horizontal cold heading machines), the work piece is squeezed between two dies until it assumes the desired shape of the die.

Deformation occurs at room temperature, causing a change in the size and shape of the metal. Note here that this forging method is volume specific and generally compliments the cold heading processes by adding more intricate shapes to the blank used in cold heading processes.

Basic equipment types used for the forging method range to include vertical presses, either fully automatic or manually fed. Also note that these vertical presses used can be either hydraulically powered or mechanically powered.

A reliable and cost effective process, some of the parts produced using cold forging includes those for use in the automotive electrical industry and range to include:

Parts for car seats and alternators (such as the claw-pole)
Different types of gears used on other parts
Parts for starter motors such as transmission solenoid body, core and plunger, to name but a few examples)
Motorcycle parts such as those for flywheel magnetos
Parts that are hollow with shafts and stems
Parts used for valves and switches
Cold forging is also used to produce anti-vibration spiders and parts

Advantages of Cold Forgings

No heating is required
Better interchangeability, productivity
Superior dimensional control
High rates of production
Capability to impart directional properties onto the metal being formed

Material	Characteristics	Application
Stainless Steel	Corrosion-resistant	Used in steam turbines, pressure vessels, and other applications in petrochemical, medical, food processing industries. Used at temperatures up to 1800 F under low stress and to 1250 F under high-stress.
Low Carbon and Low Alloy Steel	Easily processed Good mechanical properties Low material cost	Widely used at temperature lower than 900 F.
HSLA/Microalloy Steel	Good mechanical properties Low material cost Simple thermomechanical treatment	Mainly used at temperature lower than 400 F for structural and engine applications in the aircraft and transportation industries.
Aluminum	Good strength-to-weight ratio Readily forged	Mainly used at temperature lower than 400 F for structural and engine applications in the aircraft and transportation industries.
Aluminum A356.0	Good strength-to-weight ratio Readily forged	Mainly used at temperature lower than 400 F for structural and engine applications in the aircraft and transportation industries.
Nickel-Base Superalloy	Oxidation resistance Creep-rupture strength	Used at temperature between 1200 and 1800 F. Used for structural shapes, turbine components, fittings, and valves.
Titanium	High strength Low density Excellent corrosion resistance	About 40% lighter in weight compared to steel parts. Used primarily in the temperature services to 1000 F. Used for aircraft engine components and structures, ship components, and valves and fitting in transportation and chemical industries.