by Forging Guide: Aluminum Hot Forging Process
Aluminum is one of the widely forged metals in the world today. The lightweight properties and good plasticity are some of the properties that make it popular in cold forging. But the wide application of this metal is another factor that’s making it popular.
But how do you forge aluminum? Well, the aluminum hot forging process is not as difficult as many may think. But you need to get a few things right to ensure that you are getting quality products. Here is a perfect aluminum hot forging process:
Preparing Raw Material
The first step should be preparing the raw material. In this case, you need to know what kind of aluminum you will be hot forging. That’s because there are so many types of aluminum in the name of alloys in the market. There are some cases when pure aluminum is the one being forged. Understanding the raw material is important because it will determine things like hot forging temperature and compression force.
Preparing Forging Machine
The other thing you need to work on is the forging machine. There are so many things you need to get right about the machine. First, you must ensure that it is in perfect condition to forge. The second is getting the right setting for the aluminum forging. Depending on the hardness of the aluminum alloy, you need to have a different compression force. So, you need to consider the issue of tonnage.
Get The Right Molds
The next thing you need to get is the mold for the forging work. Depending on the size and shape of the aluminum product you want to produce, you need to have molds. This is very before you even start the forging work. Molds are usually made early and may also be provided by the customer.
Heating The Workpiece
With everything set, you can now start with the fording process. Start with heating the aluminum material to the recommended temperature. This is very important if the material is to be forged efficiently. The temperature should enable quick plastic deformation.
Forging The Workpiece
You have the machine ready and the workpiece heated; now you just need to forge. Place the heated aluminum material in the press chamber and press it against the molds to form the required shape. Then pass the forged material through heat treatment for fine grains. That’s simply the aluminum hot forging process.
