OPEN DIE FORGING
ADVANTAGES OF OPEN DIE FORGING: -
The various advantages of open die forging are
We get the product of greater strength.
The fatigue resistance of the part gets improved.
We get products with improved microstructure, fine grain size, and
continuous grain flow.
Less wastage of the material.
The parts produced by this forging technique has reduced voids.
It is capable of producing very large parts that may weight about 136
metric tonnes.
Continuous grain flow.
Finer grain size.
DISADVANTAGES OF OPEN DIE FORGING: -
The parts produced in this forging process do not have high accuracy and
close tolerances.
Machining operation is often required to get the desired accuracy and
features.
Not suitable for forming precision parts or other close-tolerance
applications.
High degree of skills is required.
Limited to simple shapes.
Machining to final shape is necessary.
Low production rate.
APPLICATION OF OPEN DIE FORGING: -
It is used to produce simple parts such as discs, shafts (it includes step
shaft or shaft with flanges), hubs, blocks, cylinders, sleeves, flats, rounds,
hexes, and some custom shapes.
It is also used to produce heavy parts that weigh in tons.
FORMING LIMIT OF OPEN DIE FORGING: -
Open-die forging can produce forgings from a few pounds up to more than 150
tons. Called open-die because the metal is not confined laterally by impression
dies during forging, this process progressively works the starting stock into the
desired shape, most commonly between flat-faced dies. In practice, open-die
forging comprises many process variations, permitting an extremely broad
range of shapes and sizes to be produced. In fact, when design criteria dictate
optimum structural integrity for a huge metal component, the sheer size
capability of open-die forging makes it the clear process choice over non-
forging alternatives. At the high end of the size range, open-die forgings are
limited only by the size of the starting stock, namely, the largest ingot that can
be cast.
Practically all forgeable ferrous and non-ferrous alloys can be open-die forged,
including some exotic materials like age-hardening superalloys and corrosion-
resistant refractory alloys.
Open-die shape capability is indeed wide in latitude. In addition to round,
square, rectangular, hexagonal bars and other basic shapes, open-die processes
can produce:
Step shafts solid shafts (spindles or rotors) whose diameter increases or
decreases (steps down) at multiple locations along the longitudinal axis.
Hollows cylindrical in shape, usually with length much greater than the
diameter of the part. Length, wall thickness, ID and OD can be varied as
needed.
Ring-like parts can resemble washers or approach hollow cylinders in shape,
depending on the height/wall thickness ratio.
Contour-formed metal shells like pressure vessels, which may incorporate
extruded nozzles and other design features.
Not unlike successive forging operations in a sequence of dies, multiple open-
die forging operations can be combined to produce the required shape. At the
same time, these forging methods can be tailored to attain the proper amount of
total deformation and optimum grain-flow structure, thereby maximizing
property enhancement and ultimate performance for a particular application.
Forging an integral gear blank and hub, for example, may entail multiple
drawing or solid forging operations, then upsetting. Similarly, blanks for rings
may be prepared by upsetting an ingot, then piercing the centre, prior to forging
the ring.
OPEN DIE FORGING MACHINES AND
MACHNES CAPACITY: -
5,400-ton open die press in push-down (design at villares brazil)
5,000-ton open die press in push-down (design at union electric USA)
3,300-ton open die press in pull-down (design at weber metals USA)
COMPETING PROCESS OF OPEN DIE
FORGING: -
HYBRID FORGING: - Instead of pushing 100 percent of the material’s
surface area, hybrid forgers are able to use far less tonnage in a prescribed
manner to move material more efficiently. This is due to the tooling and
mechanics of the process. For impression die (or closed die), a forging company
must manipulate 100 percent of the workpiece at the same time. So, it comes
down to pounds per square inch, which is why this hybrid process makes it
possible to make larger, more complex parts on an open die press. It’s also a
more efficient use of tooling and investment dollars; the tool design can be
changed quicker and more effectively than closed die impression blocks or
casting moulds.
CLOSED DIE FORGING: - Closed die forging, one of the main forging
processes, involves the pressing or hammering of preformed metal blanks into a
set of dies shaped as a three dimensional negative of the part to be produced. In
closed die forging, the hammer and anvil fully enclose the workpiece, forcing
the metal to fill all areas of the dies. Closed die forging can produce a nearly
limitless variety of 3-D shapes, and is capable of producing complex parts with
tight tolerances.
RANGE OF PRODUCTS: -
Open die forging is used most often to produce round, square, rectangular, and
hexagonal bars, beams and other basic shapes. Other common products formed
using open die forging include spindles, hubs, mandrels, step shafts, metal
shells, simple pancake forgings and pierced blanks. Since tooling tends to be
simpler and lower in cost for open die forges than for closed die forges, open
die forging is better suited for lower volume production runs and for creating
unique forged items. Industries that benefit from open die forgings include
aerospace, automotive, material handling, marine, military, cement, electronics
and home appliances
REFERENCE: -
1) Mechanical metallurgy - Dieter_ George Ellwood
2) [Link]
3) [Link]
4) [Link]
5) [Link]
