What is forging?  Shaping metal by the forging process involves heating metal to a plastic state and then hammering it into the required shape. Modern forging is done with cavity tooling or dies which are like hard steel "molds". These dies are placed between the hammer and table of a forge hammer. Red hot metal is placed on the die and struck with a blow of many thousands of pounds forcing the material into a desired shape. Raw Material:  Wichard uses only certified alloys to guarantee conformance with the customer’s specifications. We do a random spark analysis on all deliveries before the material leaves the truck to be sure of our guarantee of quality. There are hundreds of different alloys available today in steel, stainless steel and titanium. Each is engineered for a particular hardness, ductility, weldability, resistance to corrosion or a combination of conditions to best suit the end use. Pre-heating Metals:  We heat raw material to a plastic state in electric gas ovens. The pre-heat process is critical to quality forging. Time in the furnace, temperature control, as well as type of heat (electric), gas or oil fired) is very important to controlling the molecular structure of an alloy. Forge Hammering:  Hold the red hot metal over a die made in the desired shape of a product. Strike the metal a powerful blow with the forge hammer and the material instantly forms into the desired shape. Trim:  Excess material is then cut away and a rough copy of the desired product is revealed. Heat Treat: Re-heating the product on a strict schedule of time and temperature will harden the material and stabilize it for long term use. Tumble and Polish:  This process is what delivers a smooth shiny surface to the products. Passivate: Products are bathed in a heated acid to form a protective film over the surface. This film will protect the metal from corrosion. |