Closed die steel forging-sometimes referred to as “near-net-shape” or “impression die” steel forging – offers numerous technical advantages, saves on material usage, and carries an upfront tooling investment that’s not nearly as expensive as some people think.
Improved Strength to Weight Ratio
In the closed die forging process, metal bar or billet is heated before being placed in the die then hammered until the metal completely fills the die cavity.
During this process the material’s grain structure becomes compressed and aligned to the component shape which imparts greatly increased directional strength with reduced stress concentrations in corners and fillets. Components manufactured this way are stronger than their equivalent machined-from-solid or cast parts.
Structural Integrity
Forging a component greatly reduces the possibility of metallurgical defects such as porosity or alloy segregation as found in some castings. This leads to reduced scrap, a uniform response to heat treatment and predictable component performance in the field.
There is virtually no possibility of porosity being introduced during the forging process. Even this can be checked with a low costultrasonic test after manufacture. The possibility of small surface cracks can be managed with a simple crack detection procedure towards the end of the process.
Economic Advantages
Moving from machined-from-solid to forged components generates a saving in raw material usage. Starting from a nearnet- shape forging can also reduce machining times. This means companies moving from machine-from-solid to machine-fromforging can generate enough capacity on their existing plant to save capital outlay on new machinery, as their business grows.
Customers often assume that the initial tool cost required for near net shaped forging is prohibitive. In fact, forging dies and tools are quite simple in construction and are relatively low cost, making them viable even for jobs with low production quantities. This cost can be further mitigated by amortisation into the component piece price and even reclaiming pre-used die materials.
About CFS Forge
CFS Forge, a specialist closed die steel forging manufacturer, located in Ningbo, China. For over 30 years the company has manufactured steel forgings on its site for many applications. The company specialises in producing steel forgings in a wide range of steel alloys.
CFS’ Oil & Gas sector customers include large multi-national organisations as well as smaller independent operators. It can support long or short run orders with no minimum order quantity requirement. A wide product range includes forged flanges, elbows, tees, bonnets, yokes and valve bodies.
We pride ourselves on providing excellent customer service, short lead-times and on-time delivery. We offer product design support and process simulation to optimise the forged product for weight and ease of manufacture. We have an in-house machine shop for proof or finish machining, if required. All this enables us to provide our customers with a complete forging solution from initial enquiry through to finished parts production.
Contact us now if you would like to source forgings with good prices!