What is Forging Processing?

What is Forging Processing?

In industrial manufacturing, forging processing is a key technology that transforms metals — it doesn’t melt the metal, but instead uses "high-temperature softening" and "high-pressure shaping" to turn ordinary metal billets into high-strength industrial components. It’s like giving metal a "fitness and shaping routine," making it more durable and resilient.

Unlike casting (where liquid metal is poured into a mold), the metal in forging processing remains in a solid state. The first step is to heat the metal billet, usually to 60% to 80% of the metal’s melting point. At this temperature, the metal softens without melting, becoming malleable as if "awakened"; next, equipment such as hydraulic presses and forging hammers apply pressure ranging from thousands to tens of thousands of tons to squeeze and hammer the billet into shape according to a preset mold.

During this process, major changes occur in the internal structure of the metal: the originally loose grains rearrange and bond tightly, and the pores and impurities inside are greatly reduced. Therefore, forged components have a density that is more than 10% higher than ordinary castings, with much greater tensile strength and wear resistance. Even when subjected to long-term impact and heavy loads, they are not easily broken or deformed.

Today’s forging processing also incorporates numerical control technology. Computers can adjust temperature and pressure in real time, controlling the dimensional error of each component to the millimeter level. From small automotive crankshafts to large aero-engine turbine disks, and even crawler plates for construction machinery — all are "products" of forging processing. Relying on the power of high temperature and high pressure, it lays a solid "high-strength" foundation for industrial manufacturing.