How die forgings compare to machined bar/plate?
Forgings offer broader size range of desired material grades. Sizes and shapes of products made from steel bar and plate are limited to the dimensions in which these materials are supplied. Often, die forging may be the only metalworking process available with certain grades in desired sizes. Forgings can be economically produced in a wide range of sizes from parts whose largest dimension is less than one inch to parts weighing more than 450,000 pounds.
Forgings have grain oriented to shape for greater strength. Machined bar and plate may be more susceptible to fatigue and stress corrosion because machining cuts through the material grain pattern. In most cases, die forging yields a grain structure oriented to the part shape, resulting in optimum strength, ductility and resistance to impact and fatigue. Forgings make better, more economical use of materials. Flame cutting plate is a wasteful process, one of several fabricating steps that consume more material than needed to make such parts as rings or hubs. Even more is lost in subsequent machining. Forgings yield lower scrap and greater, more cost-effective production.
Forgings, especially near-net shapes, make better use of material and generate little scrap. In high-volume production runs, die forgings have the decisive cost advantage. Forgings require fewer secondary operations. As supplied, some grades of bar and plate require additional operations such as turning, grinding and polishing to remove surface irregularities and achieve desired finish, dimensional accuracy, machinability and strength. Often, forgings can be put into service without expensive secondary operations.
If need forging parts, casted parts, machined parts, please contact Guokun Machinery (www.guokuncasting.com) or email us gina@guokuncasting.com
