STEEL HOT FORGING: THE WORD TO OUR EXPERT

We interviewed Luca Di Donato, Mecolpress specialist for steel hot forging.

Steel is a far different material from brass, for this reason Mecolpress has decided to increase its team with a devoted figure, to whom we have addressed some questions.

What is your role in Mecolpress?

The role I currently play in the company context is project engineer manager specialized in steel hot forging and non-ferrous alloys (except brass).

Specifically, I mainly deal with the identification and definition of the hot plastic deformation process that is technically and economically most suitable for the production of semi-finished steel components but also aluminium and special nickel and Titanium alloys.

What kind of experience do you have in steel hot forging sector?

The gained background in the specific sector derives from many years of work experience acquired in the company field, initially as a designer and then as technical and operational director of companies located in Italy and abroad.

Which application sectors do usually use steel hot forging presses?

Presses for steel hot forging are widely used in many application sectors such as automotive, aeronautics, agriculture, construction, chemical, petrochemical and industrial sector in general.

 Which type of machine is most suitable for steel forging? (mechanical presses, hydraulic presses, screw presses?)

From a metallurgical point of view, steel can be forged using every type of press, since the types of steel in general are little affected by the presses deformation speed as some aluminium alloys and the super alloys of Titanium and Nickel are affected.

Therefore, there are other parameters that influence the choice, in fact the geometry, the geometric and dimensional tolerances can certainly guide the choice on a mechanical press rather than on a screw press, but also on a hydraulic press.

Compared to brass, which are the distinctive traits of steel?

From the process point of view and therefore from the point of view of the relative presses, the first aspect that is typical for steel is certainly the forging temperature which is around 1200 ° C.

The other equally important feature is the steel deformability which is far more difficult than the one of the brass. The resistance to hot plastic deformation of steel forces the adoption of simpler geometries, the adoption of presses with increased capacity in terms of forces, moreover, pre-forming processes are often used.

According to your experience, which are the recurring critical issues that you could observe in the forging of this material?

As previously highlighted, steel is forged at high temperature, therefore possible overheating can be created in areas that are particularly subject to deformation, the involved forces are important and as a result the energy and disposition can approach the limit and cause no geometric conformity on the piece.

In the end, steel cannot be easily deformed and therefore it requires a specific study to understand which preforming processes are better to adopt in order to avoid cracks / folds of material.

Always according to your experience, when we want to choose the most suitable machine, what should we absolutely consider?

Obviously the geometry of the forged product to be obtained, together with the imposed geometric and dimensional tolerances, strongly influences the choice of the best process, first of all the type of press but also all the machines necessary to compose the line, from the cutting, heating, and preforming process up to the possible calibration of hot / cold forging.

Mecolpress, through the specific skills acquired in fifty years of working history and thanks to its professionalism, is able to support the customer from the very first stages of defining the most suitable geometry for the choice of the forging up to the realization of the line, also fully automated, turnkey.

What do you think that can really make the difference in a “guessed” press?

The heart of the production line in its entirety is the PRESS which has been designed to respect specific characteristics, as a result “guessing” the type of press is absolutely important, but it is equally essential to consider who designed and built it, in this regard the presses produced by Mecolpress are considered to be among the best on the market, both in terms of technological content and in terms of rigidity and reliability.

If you want further information regarding the topic “Steel hot forging”, we invite you to consult the U.NI.S.A. Italian National Union of Steel Forgers, of which we are aggregate members.