WIX Archives
The advantages of forging...
Posted by bdk on Mon Apr 01, 2002 07:41:45 PM
In reply top Re: Ok.. So what is the difference between cast and forged? posted by Ray Crawford on Mon Apr 01, 2002 06:27:05 PM
The advantage of forging is that the grain structure of the metal gets oriented along the surface of the part (the general direction the stresses travel). A casting has random grain orientation. Castings are also typically very porous. Forging closes up these pores.
Old time forging is exactly what the blacksmith did, pounding the red hot steel to shape with a big hammer. A cast sword would be too brittle to be useful against the invading hordes! I don't think that high strength was required for horseshoes though, heating and pounding was probably just an effective forming technique. I think that most horseshoes now are cast.
Forging is also used as a cost saving measure since the part gets pounded to the approximate final size, saving countless hours of machining. This cost savings is mostly gone now though through the use of 5-axis numerically controlled machining and high speed machining of solid billets (thick, rolled plate).
: Forging is when the heated metal blank is hammered or pres
: sed to final shape in between a set of dies specially made
: for the purpose. So forging is just a more complex versio
: n of the horseshoes mentioned! Forging is used when high p
: art strength is required. For example, crankshafts, landin
: g gear brackets, some radial engine crankcases (Bristol He
: rcules) etc.