Forging Cost Saving Tips


RINGS Flame cutting a ring from plate is not economical when meeting material requirements. • Flame cutting, all corner stock and the full center slug is lost even though you pay for it. • As desired thickness of the ring increases, availability of plate sizes and grades drastically decreases. • Uni-directional grain flow of plate increases susceptibility of ring to fatigue failure.	A custom forged ring allows greater versatility and improved quality while reducing material cost. • The forging process moves and shapes material to ordered ring size with minimal material waste. • Required ring thickness has no effect on the virtually limitless combinations of sizes and grades available. • The porosity and laminations sometimes encountered in plates is eliminated with a custom forged ring. • Contoured grain flow within forged ring yields combination of strength, toughness and fatigue resistance.	30% MATERIAL SAVINGS Material=4340 Finished Size=46 5/8" O.D. X 26 1/4" I.D. X 4 1/8" FACE Materials Needed to Produce= Forging=2,015 lbs. Plate=2,865 lbs. 56% MATERIAL SAVINGS Material=1021 Finished Size=22 5/8" O.D. X 17" I.D. X 9" FACE Materials Needed to Produce= Forging=700 lbs. Plate=1,580 lbs.
BARS & SHAFTS Matching a solid bar to form a step down causes expensive use of material, labor and time. • When machining the step down, all excess material, as shown here, is lost. • Machining time, tool life and freight costs are expensive. • Grain flow within the bar is exposed when machined, thus making the material more susceptible to fatigue failure.	Custom forging the bar to form a step down lowers the cost for a value added part. • Forging requires less starting material, thus saving cost on excess material waste. • Less machining saves money, time and tool life while producing a closer-to-finish shape. • Freight and handling costs are lowered because the forged step down weighs less than the bar. • Contoured grain flow within forged step down yields greater impact and directional strength.	64% SAVINGS Forged Sizes=18 1/4" O.D. X 16 1/2" Long, Step 11 1/4" O.D. X 8" Long, Step 6 3/4" O.D. X 48" Long Weight=1,935 lbs. Bar Size=18 1/4" O.D. X 72 1/2" Long Weight=5,375 lbs. 49% SAVINGS Forged Sizes=4" O.D. X 13 1/16" Long, Step 6 1/2" O.D. X 9 3/4" Long, Step 4" O.D. X 19 13/16" Long Weight=205 lbs. Bar Size=6 1/2" O.D. X 42 1/4" Long Weight=400 lbs.
HUBS When hub shapes are achieved through machining solid bar stock or flame cutting plate, waste is an expensive part of the process. • When machining a shape from solid bar or flame cutting plate, all excess material is lost. See the illustration below. • Machining or flame-cutting means costly machine time, lowered tool life, and increased freight costs. • Most importantly, the uni-directional grain flow of both bar and plate increases the likelihood of fatigue	Custom forging of hub shapes improves quality, lowers material costs and offers maximum flexivility. • As it requires less material from the start, forging saves on both material and freight. • The forging process requires simple tooling yet can produce virtually limitless combinations of single or double hub sizes. • Reduces machining saves time, labor, and tooling costs and forging produces a nearer net shape. • The optimum combination of strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance in the hub is achieved by the continuous grain flow which comes through forging.	59% MATERIAL SAVINGS Forged Sizes=4" O.D. X 20" Face, Hub on side 9" O.D. X 4 1/2" Projection Weight=346 lbs. Plate Size=20" Square X 7 1/2" Thick Weight=850 lbs. 43% MATERIAL SAVINGS Forged Sizes=18 1/4" O.D. X 3 7/8" Face, Hub on side 10 5/8" O.D. X 6 1/8" Projection with a 3" I.D. through Weight=421 lbs. Bar Size=18 1/4" O.D. X 10" Long Weight=741 lbs.