Main Entry: ¹forge
Pronunciation: 'fOrj, 'forj
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Latin fabrica, from fabr-, faber smith
Date: 13th century
1 : a furnace or a shop with its furnace where metal is heated and wrought : SMITHY
2 : a workshop where wrought iron is produced or where iron is made malleable

Main Entry: ²forge
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): forged; forg·ing
Date: 14th century
transitive senses
1 a : to form (as metal) by heating and hammering b : to form (metal) by a mechanical or hydraulic press with or without heat
2 : to form or bring into being especially by an expenditure of effort <working to forge party unity>
intransitive senses
1 : to work at a forge
- forge·abil·i·ty /"fOr-j&-'bi-l&-tE, "for-/ noun
- forge·able /'fOr-j&-b&l, 'for-/ adjective

Main Entry: drop-forge
Pronunciation: 'dräp-"fOrj, -"forj
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1886
: to forge between dies by means of a drop hammer or punch press
- drop forger noun

Definitions used by permission from the publisher. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary ©2000 at Merriam-Webster OnLine, www.Merriam-Webster.com .

Depiction of an early European forge works.

Forgings - Manufacturing Cycle

Shultz Steel Company's raw materials are primarily vacuum arc remelted steels, titanium alloys and nickel base alloys.  Conventionally melted and cast aluminum ingot is also used.

In 1996, Shultz Steel installed its own Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) facility for the remelting of steel and nickel alloy ingots.  This new facility requires the procurement of cast electrodes melted in an electric arc furnace or vacuum induction furnace.  Subsequent VAR melting at Shultz Steel converts these electrodes into Aerospace quality ingots.  Ingots are cylindrical in nature (from 20 to 40 inches diameter), weighing from 10,000 lbs.(titanium and aluminum) up to 40,000 lbs. (steel).

These ingots are initially heated and open die forged in three or four operations to a billet product.  This billet product is subsequently examined and inspected to verify its eternal and internal quality.

The billet material is subsequently saw cut into specific weights ("Mults") for the manufacture of open or closed die forgings.  This process consists of heating the material two to six times and progressively changing its shape by forging until it finally is molded to the contour required by the drawing.

Rings

Following final forging, the product normally is heat treated to develop the internal properties in the metal.  It is subsequently cleaned, using abrasive materials and chemicals to remove the outer surface layers.  Following this, most products are partially machined and then inspected thoroughly for dimensional and metallurgical characteristics.  The final product is shipped to the customer at this point.

An Ingot is upset forged in open dies under pressure into a flattened shape ("slab").  A hole is punched into the slab to permit the next operation, ring rolling.  The slab is heated to forging temperature and placed over the internal roll of the rolling machine.  At the same time, pressure is applied to the wall by the external roll as the ring rotates.  This process produces a circular forging with a seamless cross-section.

The rings are then rough machined to a rectangular cross-section.  Aluminum rings are cold sized (tension stress relieved) to reduce built up residual stresses.  Rings are then heat treated and undergo a final rough machining, parting and inspections and tests prior to shipment.  The customer then must fashion the part from the rectangular shape to suit his or her own specifications and needs.

Machining

Shultz Steel employs a full machine shop, with product ranges from simple drilling of datum targets, all the way to finished detail parts and assemblies.

Closed die forgings are typically rough machined at Shultz Steel, to permit easier set-up at the customer facility.  Some alloys require rough machining to reduce the cross sectional thickness in order to permit adequate heat treatment.

For FAQ information from the Forging Industry Association, please click... www.forging.org.

For information about the forging industry from Forging Magazine, please click on.... www.forgingmagazine.com

For information on the foundings of Metallurgy click on...