Compare Forging to Weldments/Fabrications
Compare and contrast weldments/fabrications to forging – in terms of material savings, strength, design, metallurgical properties, inspection requirements and production.
Compare...
|
Weldments / Fabrications
|
Forging
|
Production economies and material savings: |
Welded fabrications are more costly in high volume production runs, to the point that fabricated parts are a traditional source of forging conversions as production volume increases. |
Initial tooling costs for forging can be absorbed by production volume and material savings, as well as forging's intrinsic production economies - lower labor costs, scrap and rework reductions and reduced inspection costs. |
Strength: |
Welded structures are not usually free of porosity. Any strength benefit gained from welding or fastening standard rolled products can be lost by poor welding or joining practice. |
The grain orientation achieved in forging makes stronger parts that can function in harsher conditions. |
Flexibility and cost-effectiveness of designs: |
A multiple-component welded assembly cannot match the cost-savings gained from a properly designed, one-piece forging. |
The part consolidation inherent of one-piece forgings can result in considerable cost savings. |
Consistency and quality of metallurgical properties: |
Selective heating and non-uniform cooling that occur in welding can yield undesirable metallurgical properties. In use, a welded seam may act as a metallurgical notch that can lead to part failure - even in hard materials, but especially in softer metals when forging brass and aluminum. |
Forging produces no internal voids that cause unexpected failure under stress or impact, and the consistency of its metallurgical properties keeps parts sturdy. |
Inspection requirements: |
Weldments require costly inspection procedures, especially for highly stressed components. |
Forgings, not being subject to the defects weldments have, do not. |
Production: |
Welding and mechanical fastening require careful selection of joining materials, fastening types and sizes, along with close monitoring of tightening practice - both of which increase production costs. |
Forging simplifies production and ensures better quality and consistency - part after part. |
For more information about forgings compared to weldments/fabrications, visit the Forging Industry Association (FIA) website.