Subtractive forming technology includes a variety of methods, and our classification is mainly based on the initial blank shape of the part. Although the final subtractive process relies on machining technology, the source of the blank of the part is very different. Therefore, subtractive forming is mainly divided into three categories: profile subtractive forming, casting subtractive forming, and forging subtractive forming. This article mainly talks about forging subtractive processing.
From the picture above, we can clearly see that the parts are formed by forging. Forging, this long-standing part forming technology, its original form is what we often call ironmaking. Forged parts have the following characteristics:
High material utilization: Forging processing is to use metal in a plastic state to achieve forming through volume transfer, so as to obtain forgings of a certain shape and size. This process does not produce a large amount of cutting waste, so the material utilization rate is relatively high.
Good mechanical properties: During the forging process, the metal billet is plastically deformed by external forces, which can refine the metal grains and improve its internal structure. For example, the steel ingot produced by steelmaking often has defects such as looseness, coarse grains, uneven structure, and component segregation. After forging and other pressure processing, the looseness in the structure is forged, the internal is dense, the coarse dendrites are broken, the grains are refined, and the segregation is improved. Forging can also eliminate or reduce defects such as pores, shrinkage holes, and shrinkage produced during the casting process, making the metal streamline of the forging more reasonable and the structure more dense, thereby improving its strength, hardness, toughness and other mechanical properties.
High dimensional accuracy: The workpiece obtained by forging can achieve very high dimensional accuracy. Through precision die forging technology, the size and shape of the forging can be made close to the finished parts, thereby reducing the cutting time and material waste. Many forging forming methods have reached the requirements of less or no cutting. For example, the precision of the tooth shape of the precision forged bevel gear can be directly used without cutting, and the complex curved surface of the precision forged blade can reach the accuracy of grinding only.
Wide range of applications: Forging production is suitable for various metals and their alloys, from small parts to large components, with a mass range from less than 1 kg to hundreds of tons. At the same time, forging can be carried out for single-piece, small-batch production, or large-scale production to meet different production needs. Relatively complex process: The forging process is relatively complex, and process parameters such as temperature and pressure need to be strictly controlled to ensure the quality of the forgings. Various defects such as cracks and folds are prone to occur during the forging process, so a series of measures need to be taken to prevent and eliminate these defects.
Can produce parts with complex shapes: Die forging makes the shape of forgings more complex, and the flow of metal is controlled by the die cavity, which can produce more complex forgings.
From the above picture, we can still feel the risks inherent in forging work. If it relies entirely on manual operation, its danger is no less than casting. Therefore, promoting the transformation of the forging industry to an automated and intelligent factory model is the key to fundamentally solving this safety problem. Fortunately, many companies have successfully implemented this transformation and provided us with valuable application cases. We have reason to believe that with the continuous advancement of technology, the forging industry will usher in a safer, more efficient and better future.(来源：UG学习堂小胥收徒)
