Cold extrusion forging, also referred to as cold forging, is one of the fastest-growing technologies in the forming industry. The technique has been used for the manufacturing of a range of machine parts and other products, including packaging cans and so on. But what is cold extrusion forging, how does it work, and what do you need?
Well, in this guide, we are going to look at all these things and, more so, the basics of cold extrusion forging. Here are some of the commonly asked questions about cold forging:
What Is Cold Extrusion Forging?
This is one of the most common questions, especially by then newbies trying to find out more about forging technology. There are various types of forging, and cold forging is just one of them. As the name suggests, cold forging is all about the forging method that works on the metal at room temperature.
Unlike hot forging, where the metal is heated to crystallization temperature, or warm forging, where the metal is slightly heated, the cold forging method works formed metal when at room temperature. That’s why it is referred to as cold. However, there are cases when the metal could be heated slightly if it is too hard.
How Does Cold Extrusion Forging Work?
There are so many questions on the operation of the cold extrusion forging. Different approaches could depend on the kind of item being formed, but the principle of operation remains the same. Like other forging methods, the technique works on compressing the metal or the billet against the molds or dies to form the desired shape.
The billet can be any metal that can be cold forged, and the mold is always made from a stronger and harder metal. This enables it to withstand the high compression force that deforms the metal being forged.
What Do You Need For Cold Extrusion Forging?
There are several things that you need when it comes to doing cold extrusion forging. One of them is the right material for the kind of products that you want to make. If you have a range of materials that you can use for this type of forging but soft metals such as aluminum are the most common.
Apart from the materials, you need molds and hydraulic press machines. The molds form the desired products’ shapes while the press machine produces the required compression force to deform the billet. These are basic things you need to know about cold extrusion forging.