Many companies experience problems with obtaining hollow
metal parts, ranging from limitations of available sizes
to quality problems. Solid steel bars require boring, steel
tubes frequently need excess machining, and castings often
do not meet internal part strength specifications. Below
are some examples of how forging has served as a customized
solution for many Scot Forge customers, providing them with
a stronger, higher quality product while eliminating excess
time, cost, and material waste.
Product/Application:
Previous Processing Problems:
Piston rod for an off-highway vehicle
Material:
Low Alloy Steel
Formerly, a solid steel
bar was bored, machined, heat treated, and then finished
machined with a tapered inside diameter.
Bar
size limitations, and the need to bore out
the I.D., resulted in extensive material waste.
Excessive machining caused high costs and
shortened tool life.
Because the I.D. was not
tapered prior to heat treating, core hardness
could not be achieved in that area.
Forging as the Solution:
Custom
hollow forgings now produce a close-to-net
shape, reducing material by 23%.
Less machining saves time, cost, and tool
life.
Tapered I.D. is achieved during the forging
process, which allows core hardness requirements
to be met during heat treating.
Product/Application:
Previous Processing Problems:
Engraving rollers for paper converting,
requiring a high quality surface finish
Material:
Carbon Steel
Off-the-shelf tubing was previously used to form this part.
Limited available sizes often required excess machining.
Frequent inclusions resulted in poor surface quality and low part strength, causing internal rework and high part rejections.
Forging as the Solution:
Custom-tailored hollow forging has eliminated the need for excessive machining.
The combination of using cleaner material and the forging process prevents inclusions, raising part strength and quality. This has solved former internal processing problems.
Product/Application:
Previous Processing Problems:
Recoil cylinder used in a defense application
Material:
Low Alloy Steel
A centrifugal casting with a straight I.D. and single step O.D. was formerly used.
Failure to meet critical I.D. surface requirements
often caused extensive welding and machining
repair.
High rejection rates were experienced due
to poor casting integrity.
Excessive reworking costs and failure to
meet critical production deadlines were causing
major problems.
Forging as the Solution:
Hollow forging the part with a double O.D. and I.D. produced a stronger, near net shape at less cost.
Forging produces a continuous grain flow, yielding the optimum combination of fatigue strength and toughness.
Guaranteed forged soundness eliminated the need for weld and machine repair, and reduced rejected parts to zero.
A copy of Successful Cases of Forged Hollows is available in pdf format. To view pdfs, you will need Acrobat Reader. Download a free copy if needed.