Understanding Hot Die Forge Process And Its Advantages

The hot die forge is a forging method that uses heat to soften the metal being forged, and the actual forging takes place between dies that form the shape and the size of the parts being forged. The hot die forging can be complex on the product that is being forged. However, the process of forging still remains the same. Below we discuss more hot die forging:

How Hot Die Forging Process Works

The process of hot die forging is pretty simple. The major difference here is that the billet is first heated before the forging step. One the metal to forged is identified correctly; it is cut into the required size and weight. It is then heated to its crystallization temperature, reaching the plasticity needed for forging.

The heated metal is placed into the dies, where it is immediately pressed using a hydraulic press machine. The force needed for the pressing is very critical because it greatly determines the quality of the forging.

Once the pressed work is complete, and the billet has gotten the desired shape and size, the next step and the last one in the hot die forging is the heat treatment. That’s how the entire process looks like. However, the quality of the forging equipment and machinery matters.

Main Advantages of Hot Die Forging

Hot die forging produces a lot of benefits that make it popular with both the users of forgings and manufacturers. Here are some of the biggest advantages of this forging method:

Near net shapes

The hot die forging produces near net shapes, and this is one of the biggest reasons manufacturers like it. With near net shapes, it means that less material is wasted using this method for making forgings. That’s one way that the cost of the forgings is significantly reduced.

Mass Production

The hot die forging is perfect for mass production. Because the heating of the metal parts is almost liquid, it takes less time to press and form the parts. So once the whole setup has been done, it is very easy to do mass production.

Smaller Press Machines

The overall cost of the machinery for pressing in hot die forging is smaller compared to cold forging. Because of the heating of the billet, the amount of force needed for the pressing is smaller. This means a smaller hydraulic machine delivers the required force for hot die forging.