Forging: Process Description
Preheating of aluminum billets in support of extrusion or other hot forming operations.
Courtesy of Despatch Industries.
Casting
Heattreating
Mining/Primary Processing
Recycle/Scrap Melting
Aluminum Casting
Aluminum Smelting
Anode Baking
Bauxite Mining
Bauxite Refining
Extrusion
Forging
Heat Treating
Molten Handling
Rolling
Forging is the process of forming aluminum by impacting and/or squeezing a preheated aluminum blank between two halves of a die. A succession of dies may be needed to achieve the final shape.
Forging provides advantages over casting in that internal microstructure can be oriented to improve strength, and internal defects or porosity are minimized. The aluminum blank is typically heated to 600°F – 900°F, but some cold forging (Cold forging is performed on billets at room temperature. This process involves high die costs and is typically limited to high production volumes.) is also performed in the industry.