Difference Between Forging And Casting

By Author: Jeeten Gupta
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Forging and casting are two very different manufacturing methods. When something is cast the material is heated above its melting temperature and poured into a mold where it solidifies. When something is forged it is physically forced into shape while remaining in a solid state – although it is frequently heated.

What is Casting?

Casting is a manufacturing process in which a metal is heated until molten, Wile in the molten state it is placed in a vessel to create a Desired shape and is then allowed to solidify. The solidified part is also known as a casting, which is ejected or broken out of the mold to complete the process. Casting tends to be generally cheaper than forging, but there are many methods of casting, including: investment casting; die casting; permanent mold; and vacuum process molding, which can all affect pricing, tensile strength and cosmetic appearance.

The advantages of casting include:

 Large range of alloy choices
 No real upper size limit in casting weight
 Smaller production “runs” required
 Tooling is often less expensive than forge dies
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...  Complicated/complex parts are no problem
 As forgings remain solid, custom alloys are far more difficult to get into production whereas with casting, alloys including Chrome, Nickel and Moly can be added at the molten stage.

What is Forging?

Forging is a manufacturing process which involves shaping of metal using Compressive forces. Forging also involves changing shapes while in a solid state. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: cold forging (a type of cold working), warm forging, or hot forging (a type of hot working). For the latter two, the metal is heated, usually in a forge. Forged steel is generally stronger and more reliable than castings and plate steel due to the fact that the grain flows of the steel are altered, conforming to the shape of the part.

The advantages of forging include:

 Generally tougher than alternatives
 Will handle impact better than castings
 The nature of forging excludes the occurrence of porosity, shrinkage, cavities and cold pour issues.
 The tight grain structure of forgings making it mechanically strong. There is less need for expensive alloys to attain high strength components.
 The tight grain structure offers great wear resistance without the need to make products “super hard” We have found that, on a blank HRC 38-42 forged grinder insert wear/wash is about the same as a high alloy HRC 46-50 cast grinder insert. The difference being an HRC 46-50 casting does not have the ductility to handle high impact grinding.

Get Complete Details About Forging and Casting in this Article

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