upset forging is a metal plastic forming process that deforms the material through axial loading.
It exhibits a complex plastic deformation process characterized by “stretching-upsetting-stretching,” increasing the material’s cumulative deformation and refining its microstructure.
Process Characteristics
Upsetting is a specialized plastic forming technology. Its core is the use of a guide slide and a clamping die to achieve metal plastic forming. It offers advantages such as high material utilization and high forging precision.
The forging process can significantly improve the overall performance of metal products:
Increased mechanical strength: Plastic deformation refines the metal grain size and reduces internal defects. Research data shows that the tensile strength of forgings can be increased by over 20% compared to castings.
Improved toughness: The forging process eliminates internal porosity and shrinkage, effectively enhancing impact resistance and making it suitable for manufacturing parts subjected to dynamic loads.
Conserving raw materials: No melting or cutting is required, and material utilization can reach over 85%, in line with the concept of green manufacturing.
A Complete Analysis of the Upset Forging Process
Upset forging, as a precision metal plastic processing technology, can be divided into the following core steps:
Basic Process Flow
Blank Preparation Stage
Material Selection: Select metals such as steel, aluminum alloy, and titanium alloy based on product requirements, ensuring that their chemical composition and mechanical properties meet standards.
Blank Cutting: Process the raw material into bars or blocks of specific specifications, with diameter tolerances typically within ±0.1mm.
Heating Treatment
Temperature Control: Upset forging requires heating above the metal’s recrystallization temperature (approximately 1150°C for steel and 360-520°C for aluminum alloys).
Heating Equipment: Use a medium-frequency induction furnace or gas-fired heating unit. Modern processes utilize zoned heating technology to reduce energy consumption.
Temperature Uniformity: The axial temperature difference of the billet must be controlled within ±15°C to prevent uneven deformation.
Plastic Deformation Stage (Core Process)
Upset Forging Process: Axial pressure is used to reduce the billet’s height and increase its cross-sectional area. Deformation is typically controlled between 30% and 70%.
Combined deformation: A “drawing-upsetting-drawing” cycle is employed, increasing single-pass forming efficiency by over 30%.
Die configuration: A clamping die secures the billet, while the punch applies axial load. Modern equipment can achieve 160-200 die opening movements.
Cooling and post-processing
Controlled cooling: A gradient cooling system is used to prevent quench cracking. The cooling rate is adjusted based on the material’s characteristics (for example, titanium alloys require slow cooling).
Finishing: Flash is trimmed, and surface shot blasting or machining is performed as necessary.
Quality inspection: This includes dimensional tolerance measurement (±0.05mm), ultrasonic testing, and metallographic analysis.
Application scenarios:
Upset forging is commonly used to manufacture precision forgings, such as complex parts like aircraft engine blades. Strict control of die position and forging force is required to prevent overload.
Understanding that upsetting is a key process in modern manufacturing, forging optimizes the material’s microstructure, providing a reliable guarantee for the production of high-strength, high-precision parts. If you have large-scale upsetting needs, you can choose to cooperate with Mulan Metal. Mulan Metal has 12 years of experience in metal forging, helping customers in 30 countries to complete forging processing business support and gain unanimous recognition. We look forward to your cooperation consultation.
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