Forging

Forging is a metal working process that manipulates, shapes, deforms, and compresses metal to achieve a desired form, configuration, or appearance outlined by a metal processing design or diagram. Depending on the type of metal and the requirements of the design, the forging process can be completed using either hot or cold forging processes.

Modern equipment, machines, and appliances depend on forged components as a central part of their mechanism. The endless number of forged parts include various types of tools, guns and rifles, and parts for vehicles. Though forging is an ancient process, it is still an essential part of most metalworking manufacturing.

The most common picture of forging is a blacksmith with a hammer pounding out a shape on an anvil. The manual hammering and shaping of metals has been the image of the forging process over the centuries. Fortunately, through technological developments and advancements, the forging process has moved a great distance from the hammer and anvil stage.

Modern forging uses a wide range of technical methods and heavy duty equipment to produce parts that are essential for most necessities of society. The term forging is a general term that is applied to several methods used to transform sheets of metal into useful items.

Universally, forging is categorized is by cold and hot forging, where cold forging works and shapes metal with limited use of heat and hot forging heats metals nearly to their melting point.