Custom Forging: Pay Less and Get More

When the value of the scrap material approaches the value of the finished part‚ a custom forging may be the answer. In one instance‚ a customer had been machining a part from a block of copper in the shape of a Derby Hat. They were throwing away more material (and expensive material) than they were keeping. Weldaloy developed a closed die forging that gave the customer a near-net shape before machining with better grain structure and a dramatic reduction in material and machining costs.

Getting Better Material Characteristics

There are unique material characteristics inherently found in raw cake‚ bar‚ billet or plate. If other material characteristics are required‚ our engineering team may be able to design a process to produce the desired characteristics. This is particularly important with non-ferrous materials that include some of the softest and most ductile metals in the world. Some non-ferrous materials can be brought to a hardness of HRB 95 with the appropriate processes.

All Materials Are Not Equal

Choosing the right material for your application can be critical. We can advise you what kind of properties can be obtained from different non-ferrous alloys.

Here are some of the raw materials commonly stocked in various forms at Weldaloy:

• C10100 Oxygen Free Electronic Copper (OFE)
• C10200 Oxygen Free Copper (OF)
• C10700 Oxygen Free Copper with Silver (OFS)
• C10800 Oxygen Free Low Phosphorus Copper (OFLP)
• C12000 Phosphorus Deoxidized‚ Low Residual Phosphorus Copper (DLP)
• C12220 Copper Phosphorus
• C15000 Zirconium Copper
• C18000 Chromium Nickel Silicon Copper
• C18150 Chromium Zirconium Copper
• C18200 Chromium Copper
• C46400 Naval Brass
• C67300 Manganese Bronze
• C70600 Copper-Nickel‚ 10%
• C71580 Copper-Nickel‚ 30%

Weldaloy also processes a variety of aluminum alloys:

• A91100 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Non-Heat Treatable
• A92014 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable
• A92219 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable
• A96061 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable
• A97050 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable
• A97075 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable
• A97175 - Wrought Aluminum Alloy, Heat Treatable

The Shape is the Thing

While some shapes can be machined from raw stock‚ they may not have the necessary strength for the application since machining cuts the grain in a way that weakens the stock. A simple solution is to forge the part‚ thereby controlling the grain flow and direction to maximize strength and durability.

Weldaloy can perform an analysis of the part before manufacture to aid in determining part performance. Ask our customer service department about the program.

Fast and Flexible

When time is critical‚ and waiting for a process to be optimized around a closed die design isn't practical‚ open die forging makes the most sense. Open die forging can have a part to you faster than any other forging process. Take advantage of open die forgings' ability to create complex shapes with the material properties you desire.