Advantages of Forged Steel Fittings Versus Other Processes

Forged Fittings Versus Casting

A cast fitting is made by pouring molten metal into a mold of the desired shape. Forged steel fittings are stronger and more reliable than castings because the grain flow of the solid steel piece is altered to conform to the shape of the part in the die. Because of this, forging provides uniformity of the structure and composition of the finished part. The refinement that occurs is due to the thermal cycle and deformation process which is what strengthens the final part in respect to internal working pressure, and external impact and shear strength.

Advantages of forging over casting:

• Due to the tight grain structure, a forging is mechanically stronger than a casting.
• Unlike castings, forgings are not susceptible to cavities, cold pour problems, porosity or shrinkage.
• Castings typically require more expensive alloys to achieve the high strength required for most fittings.
• The tight grain structure of forgings provides more wear resistance and is not so hard as to be more likely to become brittle in comparison to castings, allowing the forged fitting to withstand higher pressures, more extreme conditions and experience a longer service life than a casted fitting.

Testing performed on a blank HRC 38-42 forged grinder insert wear/wash is about the same as on a high alloy HRC 46-50 cast grinder insert; however, a HRC 46-50 casting does not have the ductility to handle high impact grinding. This testing illustrates how forged steel fittings will withstand higher impacts, pressures and wear resistance than casted fittings.

In short, forged steel fittings have a longer and more reliable service life than castings, and are typically less expensive in identical applications.

Primary Sources Include:

• ATC GROUP 
• Boss Industrial 
• CFS Forge 
• CFS Forge 2 
• ClubTechnical Mechanical Engineering blog 
• Hydraulics & Pneumatics 
• ScienceDirect 
• Viking Forge