Common Applications of Forged Components
AUTOMOTIVE & TRUCK
The characteristics of forged parts strength, reliability and economy are what makes them ideal for vital automotive and truck applications. Forged components are commonly found at points of shock and stress such as wheel spindles, kingpins, axle beams and shafts, torsion bars, ball studs, idler arms, pitman arms and steering arms. Another common application is in the powertrain, where connecting rods, transmission shafts and gears, differential gears, drive shafts, clutch hubs and universal joints are often forged. Although typically forged from carbon or alloy steel, other materials such as aluminum and microalloyed steels are seeing great advances in forged auto and truck applications.
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY & EQUIPMENT
Strength, toughness and economy are also important in farm implements. In addition to engine and transmission components, key forgings subjected to impact and fatigue range from gears, shafts, levers and spindles to tie-rod ends, spike harrow teeth and cultivator shafts.
VALVES, FITTINGS, OIL FIELD APPLICATIONS
Because of their superior mechanical properties and freedom from porosity, forgings are often associated with the high pressure applications of the valve and fitting industry. Corrosion and heat-resistant materials are used for flanges, valve bodies and stems, tees, elbow reducers, saddles and other fittings. Oil field applications include rock cutter bits, drilling hardware, and high-pressure valves and fittings.
HAND TOOLS & HARDWARE
Forged has traditionally been the mark of quality in hand tools and hardware. Pliers, hammers, sledges, wrenches and garden tools, as well as wire-rope clips, sockets, hooks, turnbuckles and eye bolts are common examples. Surgical and dental instruments are also often forged. Special hardware for electrical transmission and distribution lines such as pedestal caps, suspension clamps, sockets and brackets are commonly forged for strength, dependability and resistance to corrosion.
OFF-HIGHWAY EQUIPMENT/RAILROAD
Strength, toughness, machinability and economy account for the many uses of forgings in off-highway and heavy construction equipment, mining equipment, and material handling applications. In addition to engine and transmission parts, forgings are used for a wide variety of gears, sprockets, levers, shafts, spindles, ball joints, wheel hubs, rollers, yokes, axle beams, bearing holders and links.
GENERAL INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENT
Forgings of great size are often found in industrial equipment and machinery used by the steel, textile, paper, power generation and transmission, chemical and refinery industries to name just a few. Typical forged configurations include bars, blanks, blocks, connecting rods, cylinders, discs, elbows, rings, T's, shafts and sleeves.
ORDNANCE/SHIPBUILDING
Forged components are found in virtually every implement of defense, from rifle triggers to nuclear submarine drive shafts. Heavy tanks, missiles, armored personnel carriers, shells and other heavy artillery are common defense-related applications of forged components.
AEROSPACE
High strength-to-weight ratio and structural reliability can favorably influence performance, range, and payload capabilities of aircraft. Made of various ferrous, non-ferrous and special alloy materials, forgings are widely used in commercial jets, helicopters, piston-engine planes, military aircraft and spacecraft. Some examples of where a forging's versatility of size, shape and properties make it an ideal component include bulkheads, wing roots and spars, hinges, engine mounts, brackets, beams, shafts, landing gear cylinders and struts, wheels, brake carriers and discs and arresting hooks. In jet turbine engines, iron-base, nickel-base and cobalt-base superalloys are forged into components such as discs, blades, buckets, couplings, manifolds, rings, chambers and shafts.