What is Warm Forging?

Warm forging is a metal forming process that requires heating the metal to a temperature between 800°C and 1200°C and then shaping it. Warm forging makes the metal more flexible and easier to deform, allowing more complex shapes to be produced. The reduced resistance to deformation during warm forging means a reduction in forming forces, resulting in less wear on the machine and lower energy consumption.

Although hot forging has been around for centuries, the term warm forging originated around 1950. While they are different types of forging, they both involve shaping metal through compressive forces. Forging a part at a high temperature reduces the tonnage required to deform the material. The necessity for reduced tonnage may be due to size, material hardness, or complexity of the shape. Parts made with warm forging have better tolerances and surface finish than hot forging, but not as good as cold forging. Both processes can increase the strength and durability of a part, but each method has distinct differences.

Send Your Inquiry

Advantages of Warm Forging

Shaping metals through compressive forces is known as forging. Although there are many types of forging, they all increase the strength and durability of a part. Its ability to save time and materials are just a few reasons to consider forging as an alternative to other manufacturing methods.

The mechanical advantages of forging at higher temperatures include increasing the ductility of the material and reducing the yield strength of the metal. The increase in ductility is due to the deformation occurring above the recrystallization temperature. The increase in ductility enables more complex shapes to be formed without strain hardening effects, thus reducing the operations required to form the desired shape. In addition, the lower yield strength of the material results in less force required to forge the metal, and therefore less energy required.

While there are many benefits to forging at elevated temperatures, there are also disadvantages. One of these disadvantages is surface finish. While this is primarily due to oxidation (known as scale) produced when the part cools, the high temperatures also increase corrosion of the die. This not only results in higher tooling costs, but also reduced precision due to die wear and shrinkage that occurs when the part cools.

Warm forging is somewhere in between cold and hot forging. Less energy is required to heat than hot forging, but the forging pressure required is less than cold forging. Less shrinkage and oxidation result in higher precision than hot forging and lower tooling costs than cold forging. Overall, warm forging can provide a lower cost, better quality alternative for many applications.

Warm Forging vs. Cold Forging

Warm forging is a forging method that lies between cold forging and hot forging. This technique does not work with billets at room temperature, nor at crystallization temperature. It only requires slight heating of the metal.

Warm forging has many potential advantages over cold forging. That is why it is gaining popularity in the market. Here are some of the key advantages of warm forging over cold forging.

Reduced Tool Load

One of the biggest benefits of heating the forging billet is reduced tool load. You will find that cold forging requires a lot of tools to complete the forging process. This is not the case with warm forging because there are things in cold forging that you do not need in warm forging. Heat treated tools are a good example of tools that you do not need. This simply means cheaper investment costs.

Reduced Forging Pressure

Another advantage of warm forging over cold forging is reduced forging press load. Heating the metal block to a temperature slightly below the crystallization temperature makes it easier to forge the billet. The amount of pressing required to forge the metal is significantly reduced. Therefore, you will spend less on press equipment.

Improved Ductility of Steel

Another advantage of warm forging is the increased ductility of forged steel. Ductility is one of the key elements of forged components. You need forgings with good ductility to withstand the stresses they are put under when working. A good example is mining drill bits, trenching teeth, and even grinding teeth. They are under a lot of stress, so increasing ductility makes them more effective.

Eliminates Annealing

Another advantage of warm forging is that it eliminates the annealing step in the forging process. This is a heating process performed on cold forged parts to improve their mechanical properties. The annealing process enhances the mechanical properties of the forging. This means that the forging is stronger and harder and can withstand demanding conditions. The heating process has already been covered for you.