← Critical Product/Equipment/Process: Metals, Mining & Materials (all topics)
Cold forging / extrusion
What it is
Forming metal at room temperature by forcing wire or bar through dies under high pressure, rather than heating and hot forging it. The grain flow follows the part shape, giving better strength and surface finish with almost no material waste
It is the standard process for high-volume fasteners and precision components, running at high speed on multi-station headers
Impact on industries
- Material utilisation approaches complete - scrap rates are far below machining, which matters when steel is the dominant cost line
- Work-hardening improves mechanical properties without additional heat treatment, so quality and cost move in the same direction
- Very high output rates once tooled, giving unit costs that machining or hot forging cannot match at volume
- Tooling is expensive and part-specific, so economics only work at scale and short runs are uncompetitive
- Geometry and material limits apply - complex shapes and harder alloys still need hot forging or machining, so process choice constrains the product range