Importance Of Lubrication In Cold Forging

The cold forging process requires a number of steps to perform it properly. Of the very initial steps that you need to take is the lubrication of the billet that you want to forge. There are many reasons why you need to have the metal thoroughly lubricated, and the major one is that it makes the forging process smoother. But how? That’s what we are going to look at in this article.

For starters, it is important to note that you need to have the right lubricant for this step. Once you have identified the slug, the first step before you place it on the dies should be adding a layer of oil. Depending on the type of metals that you want to forge, there are the recommended lubricants. Here are the reasons why lubrication is very crucial when cold forging.

Ease of Forging

One of the reasons why lubrication is making the forging process easy. The sliding of the billet into the dies and taking the required position would be difficult without lubrication. Therefore, to make the process easy from the start, make sure you have added the right layer of lubricant on the metal pieces. Did you know that lubrication also makes it easy to remove the forged part after the forging has been completed? Yes, that’s true.

Dissipate Heat

The other reason lubrication is important is to help dissipate heat produced during the forging process. If this heat is not removed, it could affect the quality of the forgings. When the heat is not dissipated, and the forging still remains at a high temperature, it could affect the mechanical features of the forgings. Note that the cooling of the forged product has an effect on its hardness and strength.

Reducing Metal-To-Metal Contact

The bare metal-to-metal contact when cold forging can be detrimental to the tooling and equipment used. It increases the friction energy, and a lot of heat is produced between the metals. This will definitely increase the rate of wear and tear and could reduce the lifespan of the die and the billet being col forged. With a layer of lubricant, this problem is solved, and you can have the dies last longer.

In cold forging, you will need to use high-viscosity oil to get these benefits. However, adding the right amount of lubricant is also necessary. It should just be enough.