Open Die Forging

Open die forging involves the shaping of heated metal parts between a top die attached to a ram
and a bottom die attached to a hammer anvil or press bed. Metal parts are worked above their
recrystallization temperatures-ranging from 1900F to 2400F for steel-and gradually shaped into
the desired configuration through the skillful hammering or pressing of the work piece.
While impression or closed die forging confines the metal in dies, open die forging is distinguished
by the fact that the metal is never completely confined or restrained in the dies. Most open die
forgings are produced on flat dies. However, round swaging dies, V-dies, mandrels, pins and loose
tools are also used depending on the desired part configuration and its size.
Although the open die forging process is often associated with larger, simpler-shaped parts such as
bars, blanks, rings, hollows or spindles, in fact it can be considered the ultimate option in "customdesigned" metal components. High-strength, long-life parts optimized in terms of both mechanical
properties and structural integrity are today produced in sizes that range from a few pounds to
hundreds of tons in weight. In addition, advanced forge shops now offer shapes that were never
before thought capable of being produced by the open die forging process.
The Open Die Forging Process
Steps to produce a typical spindle-shaped part:

1.

Rough forging a heated billet between

flat dies to the maximum diameter
dimension.

2.

A "fuller" tool marks the starting "step"

locations on the fully rounded workpiece.

3.

Forging or "drawing" down the first step

to size.

4.

The second step is drawn down to size.

Note how the part elongates with each
process step as the material is being
displaced.

5.

"Planishing" the rough forging for a

smoother surface finish and to keep
stock allowance to a minimum.

Rolled Ring Forging

The production of seamless forged rings is often performed by a process called ring rolling on rolling
mills. These mills vary in size to produce rings with outside diameters of just a few inches to over
300" and in weights from a single pound up to over 300,000 pounds.
The process starts with a circular preform of metal that has been previously upset and pierced
(using the open die forging process) to form a hollow "donut". This donut is heated above the
recrystallization temperature and placed over the idler or mandrel roll. This idler roll then moves
under pressure toward a drive roll that continuously rotates to reduce the wall thickness, thereby
increasing the diameters (I.D. and O.D.) of the resulting ring.
Seamless rings can be produced in configurations ranging from flat, washer-like parts to tall,
cylindrical shapes, with heights ranging from less than an inch to more than 9 feet. Wall thickness to
height ratios of rings typically range from 1:16 up to 16:1, although greater proportions can be
achieved with special processing. The simplest, and most commonly used shape is a rectangular
cross-section ring, but shaped tooling can be used to produce seamless rolled rings in complex,
custom shapes with contours on the inside and/or outside diameters.
The Seamless Rolled Ring Forging Process
Producing a ring "preform" by the open die forging process:

1.

Starting stock cut to size by weight is

first rounded, then upset to achieve
structural integrity and directional grain
flow.

2.

Work piece is punched, then pierced to

achieve starting "donut" shape needed
for ring rolling process.

3.

Completed preform ready for placement

on ring mill for rolling.

Rolled ring forging process:

4.

Ring rolling process begins with the idler roll

applying pressure to the preform against the
drive roll.

5.

Ring diameters are increased as the

continuous pressure reduces the wall
thickness. The axial rolls control the height of
the ring as it is being rolled.

6.

The process continues until the desired size

is achieved.

Closed Die Forgings

FORGING is the process of plastically deforming solid metal (usually heated) from one
solid state or shape into another shape between two or more dies under high pressure.
CLOSED DIE FORGING is the process whereby this deformation is confined within a
shaped cavity in the dies to achieve a desired engineering configuration. Depending on
such factors as complexity, tolerances, economics and performance, the dies required to
produce Closed Die forgings range from complex multi-segmented PRECISION wrap
dies to simple two-piece CONVENTIONAL top-and-bottom dies.
Utilizing Hydraulic and Mechanical presses, Aluminum Precision Products produces
Precision and Conventional forgings in a variety of aluminum and titanium alloys
A closed forging method for producing a forged product includes preparing as a forging
material a cylindrical cast ingot that has a volume the same as the volume of a forged
product and assumes a shape having an upper surface, a lower surface and a side surface
and containing no angular portion; and applying pressure to the side surface of the

forging material. The shape has a ratio of the lateral length of a projection profile of the
forging material as viewed in the direction perpendicular to the direction of pressure
application to a length of the forging material as measured in the direction of pressure
application is 1 or less. The forged product obtained is a preform of an upper arm or a
lower arm with a plurality of branches that is a suspension part for a vehicle or a yoke
with a plurality of branches that is a joint part employed in a vehicle suspension. The
preform or yoke has metal flow lines along each branch and exhibits enhanced
mechanical strength.
Introduction
Powder metallurgy uses sintering process for making various parts out of metal
powder. The metal powder is compacted by placing in a closed metal cavity (the die)
under pressure. This compacted material is placed in an oven and sintered in a
controlled atmosphere at high temperatures and the metal powders coalesce and
form a solid. A second pressing operation, repressing, can be done prior to sintering
to improve the compaction and the material properties.

The properties of this solid are similar to cast or wrought materials of similar
composition. Porosity can be adjusted by the amount of compaction. Usually single
pressed products have high tensile strength but low elongation. These properties can
be improved by repressing as in the following table.

Tensile
MPa
(psi)

Tensile
as Percent of
Wrought Iron
Tensile

Elongation
in 50 mm
(2 in)

Elongation
as Percent of
Wrought Iron
Elongation

Wrought Iron, Hot

Rolled

331
(48,000)

100 %

30 %

100 %

Powder Metal, 84 %
density

214
(31,000)

65 %

2%

6%

Powder Metal,
repressed, 95 %
density

283
(41,000)

85 %

25 %

83 %

Material

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Powder metallurgy is useful in making parts that have irregular curves, or recesses
that are hard to machine. It is suitable for high volume production with very little
wastage of material. Secondary machining is virtually eliminated.
Typical parts that can be made with this process include cams, ratchets, sprockets,
pawls, sintered bronze and iron bearings (impregnated with oil) and carbide tool tips.
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Design Considerations
Part must be so designed to allow for easy ejection from the die. Sidewalls
should be perpendicular; hole axes should be parallel to the direction of opening
and closing of the die.
Holes, even complicated profiles, are permissible in the direction of compressing.
The minimum hole diameter is 1.5 mm (0.060 in).
The wall thickness should be compatible with the process typically 1.5 mm
(0.060 in) minimum. Length to thickness ratio can be upto 18 maximum-this is
to ensure that tooling is robust. However, wall thicknesses do not have to be
uniform, unlike other processes, which offers the designer a great amount of
flexibility in designing the parts.
Undercuts are not acceptable, so designs have to be modified to work around
this limitation. Threads for screws cannot be made and have to be machined
later.

 Drafts are usually not desirable except for recesses formed by a punch making a
blind hole. In such a case a 2-degree draft is recommended. Note that the
requirement of no draft is more relaxed compared to other forming processes
such as casting, molding etc.
Tolerances are 0.3 % on dimensions. If repressing is done, the tolerances can be
as good as 0.1 %. Repressing, however, increases the cost of the product.