Open Die Forging
Open Die Forging
What is Open Die Forging?
2025-01-02
Open die forging, also known as free forging, is a metal shaping process where the workpiece is hammered or pressed between two flat dies without any confinement neither forging dies nor forging tools. This process is widely used in manufacturing industries to produce high-quality, durable metal components. It is preferred for producing large-sized products that require heat treatment and offers a high level of consistency in the finished product due to uniformity in pressure and temperature throughout the entire forging operation.
Production Process Steps
1. Heating: The process starts by heating the metal to a specific temperature range to make it more malleable.
2. Placing the Metal: The heated metal, known as the billet, is placed on the lower die, also called the anvil, of the hydraulic press.
3. Applying Pressure: The hydraulic press exerts a significant amount of force on the metal through hydraulic cylinders, causing the metal to deform and take the shape of the die.
4. Cooling and Finishing: After the metal has taken shape, it is removed from the die and allowed to cool. Additional finishing processes such as machining, grinding, or polishing may be performed to achieve the desired surface texture and dimensional accuracy.
Advantages of Open Die Forging
1. High Flexibility: Open die forging does not rely on dies, making it suitable for producing forgings of various shapes and sizes, especially oversized or complex-shaped workpieces.
2. High Material Utilization: The metal billet can be plastically deformed multiple times, reducing material waste.
3. Excellent Mechanical Properties: Due to the recrystallization of the metal grain structure during the forging process, free forgings have better internal density and uniform mechanical properties.
4. Processing Large-Size Workpieces: Free forging can process large-size billets and is often used to produce key components in large mechanical equipment.
5. Strong Adaptability: The free forging process can be applied to a variety of materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, alloy steel, copper, aluminum, etc..
6. Cost-Effectiveness: The cost per unit can be lower than other methods because it requires less heating energy and produces less waste during production.
7. No Limitations on Dimensions: You can make an item of any size or shape you wish.
Disadvantages of Open Die Forging
1. Low Production Efficiency: Compared with die forging, free forging has lower production efficiency due to the need for multiple hammering and adjustments before the metal can be formed.
2. Low Dimensional Accuracy: The shape of the forgings is formed by hammering and repeated adjustments, and the dimensional accuracy is usually not as high as die forging.
3. Process Depends on Operator Experience: The success of the forging process can depend on the skill and experience of the operator.
4. Defects or Loss of Quality Control: Open die forging may result in defects or loss of quality control due to uneven heating or improper spacing between punches.
5. Cannot Obtain Close Tolerance: Your parts might not fit perfectly together due to less accuracy.
Open die forging is a versatile process that offers a range of benefits, particularly for large and complex-shaped components, but it also has some limitations, especially in terms of production efficiency and dimensional accuracy.
Ningbo Investment Casting Co., Ltd has invested in an open die forging factory (free die forging factory), becoming a sister company, to meet the needs of providing a one-stop service for our clients. We have been supplying quality assured forging products to all over the world for over 20 years.
We are located at the north of Hangzhou, the capital city of Zhejiang Province, with a two-hour driving distance to Shanghai Port and Ningbo Port. More than 200 employees work at our open die forging workshop, including over 30 experienced engineers and technicians, under an annually external-audited ISO 9001: 2008 Quality System.
We are equipped with a complete free-die forging also called open die forging manufacturing line plus a variety of machines, providing us capability to deliver products with fast lead times and high levels of accuracy, safety，and reliability. We are able to manufacture products up to 80 tons in weight. Our key facilities include:
● a. 7000-ton hydraulic forging press
● b. 4000-ton hydraulic forging press
● c. 100-ton forging manipulator
● d. 50-ton forging manipulator
● e. Heat treatment furnaces fueled with natural gas (3 x 6 meter)
● f. 100-ton capacity cranes
● g. Horizontal lathes (able to machine parts up to 2.5 x 12 meter)
● h. Vertical lathes (able to machine parts up to 5 meter in height)
Our quality-assured products have proven an outstanding performance in the industries of Wind Power, Fossil Fuel Power, Mining & Mineral Processing, Oil & Gas, Ship Building, Steel, Electronics, Molding and Construction. Key products include Wind Turbine Spindles, High Pressure Grinding Roll (HPGR) Forgings & Shafts, Flanges, Crank Shafts, Gears, Tube Bodies, Surge Drum, Mold Base, Hooks, and Turbine Generator Shaft, with a range of material from carbon steel to alloy steel and stainless steel.
As an ISO 9001 certified company, we are committed to supplying products with quality exceeding customers’ expectations. Strict quality assurance and control process are in place at many levels to ensure customers’ satisfaction. We continue investing in our quality testing center and until now we are capable of carrying out dimensional measurements, chemical analysis, UT, MPI, LPI, hardness test, tensile test, impact test, and microstructure observation.
We believe we can be your good business partner as:
1. We can provide with best price & lead time for different kinds of open die forging parts from our factory
2. We can provide best service with our well-experienced personnel doing international business for years
You are more than welcomed to check our website: www.rongliforging.com for more information. If you have any questions or any opportunity for quoting, please do not hesitate to contact us.