Forging is the manipulation of metal by pressing or hammering it into its desired shape. Forged steel products are extremely strong and long-lasting due to their manufacturing process. The first step in forging steel is heating it up until the steel becomes soft enough (i.e., malleable). When the steel reaches the proper temperature for forging, it is shaped onto the desired shape using open or closed dies. Controlled deformation during the forging process refines and aligns the internal grain structure of the steel, resulting in forged steel having improved mechanical properties (i.e., toughness, fatigue resistance, load capacity). Forged steel castings are used in many industries, including automotive, industrial, petrochemical, and heavy engineering.
Why is steel forging preferred over casting
Because of the superior mechanical properties (strength, reliability, and structural integrity) inherent in forged elements compared to cast elements, forging is an excellent manufacturing technique for producing a wide range of industrial parts.
Forging results in the refining and aligning of grain flow to best represent the form of the finished component, which leads to increased toughness and fatigue resistance versus casting processes, which produce castings that may contain various internal defects, e.g., porosity, shrinkage, etc.
Forged parts have more consistent mechanical properties than cast parts and provide the ability to withstand higher levels of impact than customary cast materials, which are generally not manufactured to withstand the same levels of cyclic loading, impacting, etc. All the factors mentioned above make steel forging the preferred manufacturing method for all types of critical applications, such as automotive, oil and gas, construction, and heavy engineering industries.
How does steel forging improve grain structure
Steel forging companies alters the internal structure of steel by introducing controlled pressure which causes physical alteration, resulting in improvement of mechanical properties. By doing so, large coarsed grains are broken down and rearranged into the pattern of the finished forged piece. Directional grain flow provides a means of eliminating internal voids and discontinuities, and producing a microstructure that is more uniformly distributed and tightly packed than non-forged material. The result is an increase in strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance for forged steel compared with non-forged materials. With the refined grain structure created by forging, forged steel is better able to resist impact, cyclic loading, and extreme high-stress conditions, creating a product that is well-suited for critical and performance-based usages.
Conclusion
Steel forging is a strong manufacturing option because it uses controlled use of deformation, accurate tooling, and refined grain structure to create components with superior strength and reliability compared to other methods of production. The improvement of forged steel mechanical properties over cast steel is a result of improved alignment of the grain flows within the steel and the elimination of many defects normally associated with casting. Examples of what mechanical properties can be improved by increasing the number of grain boundary and alignment lines include: toughness, fatigue resistance, and ultimate compressive load capacity. Therefore, forged steels provide an excellent choice for use in high-performance environments where there is need for additional safety and durability requirements and as such are extensively used in automotive, oil and gas, construction and heavy engineering applications.