The difference between casting and forging

Table of contents

• Casting Process Overview
• Overview of forging process
• Comparison of Casting and Forging
  • Difference in materials
  • Differences in craftsmanship
  • Differences in scope of application
• Summarize

Casting and forging are two different metal manufacturing methods, and their main differences are as follows:

Casting Process Overview

Casting is a process in which molten metal is injected into a mold and allowed to cool and solidify under specific conditions to form the desired product.

The principle of casting is to pour molten metal into the mold in a molten state, and after cooling, the required precise casting will be obtained.

Overview of forging process

Forging is a processing technology that places a metal blank on a forging machine and uses force to deform the metal blank to achieve the required shape, size and properties.

The principle of forging is to place a metal blank in a mold, and then use high-pressure mechanical force to compress the metal blank and extrude it into the required shape.

Comparison of Casting and Forging

Difference in materials

1. The forged materials are mostly metal blanks with dense structure and few internal defects;
2. The raw materials for casting are generally liquid metal or alloys, whose structures are relatively less dense and contain various inclusions.

Differences in craftsmanship

1. Forging involves heating the metal blank to a certain temperature and then deforming it under pressure to form the desired shape. During the process, the amount of deformation is large and the required mechanical equipment is relatively complex;
2. Casting mainly involves pouring molten metal or alloy into a mold, and then taking it out to form after cooling, without excessive deformation. The type of equipment required is relatively small.

Differences in scope of application

1. Forging is suitable for manufacturing high-strength, high-precision parts, such as aviation, aerospace, shipbuilding, machinery and other fields;
2. Casting is more suitable for manufacturing parts with complex shapes and large sizes, such as automobile engines, railway locomotives, water pumps, machine tools, etc.

Summarize

Although casting and forging are both metal processing processes, they are very different in terms of principles, product properties, shapes, and scope of use.

Which process to choose should be determined based on the actual situation.

At the same time, casting and forging are also constantly developing, and more new processes will emerge in the future.