← Business Models: Industry Specific (Industrials & Materials) (all topics)
Forging vs casting economics
What it is
Forging deforms solid metal under pressure, giving grain flow that follows the part shape and superior fatigue strength; casting pours molten metal into a mould, allowing complex geometry at lower tooling cost
Safety-critical rotating and load-bearing parts are forged; complex housings are cast
Impact on industries
- Forgings command higher realisation per tonne because strength and fatigue life are the specification, not just the shape
- Serving both routes lets a supplier bid the whole component basket rather than being excluded from half of it
- Forging presses are capital-heavy and part-specific in tooling, so economics require volume that new platforms may not deliver
- Machining is where much of the value now sits, so the casting-versus-forging choice matters less than whether the supplier machines and assembles