Cold extrusion technology has grown big in the last few decades. Today, most metals, including steel, can be cold forged thanks to advancing press technology. But what is fueling the growth of this forging method to a point where the hot and cold forging methods are increasingly becoming less useful, especially on soft metals such as aluminum?
Well, there are several factors that have been fueling the growing demand for cold extrusion. That’s what we are going to look at in this article. We have rounded up some of the things that have led to the rise of cold extrusion.
You can also read more about cold extrusion on that website. They have a vast collection of cold extruded parts. Here are the factors that have led to the rise of cold extrusion.
High Energy Cost
The cost of heating energy has been the greatest challenge when it comes to hot forging. It requires a lot of energy to heat metals to their crystallization temperature. But you can reduce this cost by simply using a method that does not require heating. This is one of the reasons why cold extrusion became one of the best forging alternative methods. So, the high cost of energy is one of the reasons for the rise of cold extrusion.
Need for Higher Throughput
The production process makes better returns when you have been able to produce a large volume of products. If you can increase your throughput, you will be able to make more money because every forging produced matters. Unlike hot forging, cold extrusion has a better throughput because it skips the heating step, and sometimes, the finishing step may not be necessary.
Need for Cheaper Forgings
With the rising energy cost and the low production rate, the cost of forging was increasing tremendously. But it is the production cost that was dictating the rising cost of forged products. With a reduction in the production of the production cost by the cold extrusion, the cost if the forging was brought down without compromising quality. So, the search for cheaper forgings is another factor that has pushed manufacturers to invest in cold extrusion.
Cheaper Setup Cost
Start a forging plant sometimes back was not a simple thing. You needed a lot of money because of the many machines and equipment needed to hot and warm forge. Manufacturers and starters were looking for ways to reduce this cost without compromising the cost of the forging. Cold extrusion is one of the solutions to this problem.