Forging
Forging is a manufacturing process involving the shaping of metal using localized compressive forces . Forging is often classified according to the temperature: “cold”, “warm”, or “hot” forging. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to 580 metric tons. Forged parts usually require further processing to achieve a finished part. Some metals may be forged cold , but iron and steel are almost always hot forged . Hot forging prevents the work hardening that would result from cold forging, which would increase the difficulty of performing secondary machining operations on the piece. While work hardening may be desirable in some circumstances, other methods of hardening the piece, such as heat treating, are generally more economical and more controllable. Alloys that are amenable to precipitation hardening, such as most aluminium alloys and titanium, can be hot forged, followed by har...