Cold forming is a manufacturing process that plastically deforms metal using dies. It allows for high speed production, little to no material waste compared to conventional machining, and creates a stronger end product due to work hardening of the material.
Advantages / Disadvantages
*High efficiency material utilization (high yield)
The high material utilization of cold forging allows for significant reductions in material waste (scrap) compared to machining for the same geometry.
*Higher speed, more efficient production
Cold forming allows for high speed manufacturing (around 100 parts/minute) while still maintaining high precision and complex product geometries. No heating of the material is required.
*Improved product strength by work hardening
Cold forming process design takes fiber flow lines (the crystal structure of metals) into account allowing for stronger more durable parts.
*Cost reductions through customized manufacturing processes
If a customer design(toleranc es, geometry, number of components required, etc) is practical using cold forming, significant improvements in part unit cost and reduced process complexity are possible.