Benefits of Cold Forming

  • Speed
  • Net / Near net shape to eliminate or reduce secondary operations
  • Consistency / dimensional accuracy
  • Quality / surface finish
  • Material savings & elimination of scrap
  • Improvement in mechanical properties, greater strength to weight ratio, unbroken grain flow
  Because of these benefits, Cold forming can be considered instead of Hot Forging, Casting, Powered Metal, Machined Parts, Weldments and Stampings, or Reinforced Plastics / Composites.
  Materials
Materials that can be cold formed include, but are not limited to:
 
  • Carbon steels
  • Brass
  • Lead
  • Stainless steel
  • Copper
  • Aerospace Alloys
  • Alloy steels
  • Bronze
  • Precious metals
  • Aluminum
  • Nickel Alloys
 
 
  Basic steps of Cold Forming
Cold forming the chosen material into a given part shape is governed by that material's structural properties. These properties help makeup the "rules" of how to form parts, all based off the combination of 3 basic forming methods.
  Forward Extrusion FORWARD EXTRUSION - Method to reduce diameter where depending on % of reduc-tion is open or trapped for material to flow into the cavity of lesser diameter. (click on image for animation .mpg)
  Backward Extrusion BACKWARD EXTRUSION - Method to make holes, where material flows backward around a penetrating punch. (click on image for animation .mpg)
  Upset UPSET - Method to form heads on fasteners, where material is upset at the face of dies and can be open or trapped to upset a particular shape. (click on image for animation .mpg)
  Machinery
Cold forming equipment is typically a horizontal press that feeds wire, cuts the wire to an appropriate length which is then transferred through a series of tools and dies to form the material into a desired shape.
Machines have many variations according to the type of parts that are to be produced including:
 
  • Cutoff diameter capability (ranges from 2mm to 48mm)
  • Feed length capability (ranges from 2mm to 300mm+)
  • Tonnage (ranges from 5 Mtons to 1600 Mtons)
  • Type of Transfer - (click on animation .mpgs)
 
Bolt Animation
 
  • # of dies / punches (1die/1 punch, 1 die/2 punch, 2 die/3 punch, 2 die/4 punch, 3 die/3 punch, 4 die/4 punch, 5 die/5 punch, or 6 die/6 punch)
 
Example of 2 die & 3 punch machine
Example of 6 die & 6 punch machine
 
Example of 6 Die & 6 Punch Advanced FORMAX Cold Former
Die Area of 6 Die & 6 Punch Advanced FORMAX Cold Former
 

 

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Cold Forming Troubleshooting Guide.pdf
Cold Forming Glossary of Terms.pdf