Smithing & Forging

Smithing It is a process of performing various operations on relatively

small work pieces, heated in an open fire (hearth) and force

is applied to manipulate the metal by means of hand

hammers or small power hammers in a smithy shop.

Forging It is a process of producing those parts, which must be

heated in a closed furnace, and force is applied to

manipulate the metal by means of heavy hammers or

forging machines or presses.

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HOT METAL

LEAF HOOK

FORGING TOOLS Anvil: Provides a support for blacksmith’s workpiece

when hammering.

-Beak is used for bending the workpieces

FULLER:

2) Fuller

• Used for Necking down a piece of work

Swage: To obtain reduced and finished to round, square or hexagonal form

- Made with half grooves of dimensions to suit the work being reduced 5) Swage

Flatter: To give smoothness and accuracy to components which have been already shaped by fullers and swages.

4) Flatter

Punch: Used for making holes in metal part when it is in forging heat.

3) Punch

Tongs: To hold the workpiece1) Flat Tong : For holding work of rectangular section2) Ring Tong : For holding work of circular section3) Gad Tong : For general pick-up, either straight or tapered

6) Flat tongs 7) Ring Tongs

8) Gad Tongs

Swage block:Used for squaring, sizing, bending operations

9) Swage block

Chisels: For cutting metals & for necking prior to

breaking. They may be hot or cold depending on the

metal to be cut is hot or cold.Chisels

Hot Chisel

a) Ball peen

b) Cross peen

c) Straight peen

Sledge Hammer

Set hammer

Hand hammers: They may be classified as a) Ball peen hammer b) Straight peen hammer c) Cross peen hammer d) Sledge hammer

Set hammer: Used for finishing corners in shouldered

work,where flatter is inconvenient.

Classification of Forging

Power forging

Work

Ram

Anvil

Upper Die

Lower Die

Fig. Steam Hammer

-Also called as an air and

steam hammer

-Operated by either steam or

compressed air

- Principle of operation is

illustrated in the sketch

- Require additional facilities

for supplying high pressure

steam or compressed air.

workLower Die

Upper Die

Roll

Board

Drop Forging (Stamping/ Die forging)

Fig. Board Hammer

- Also called as Gravity Hammer

or Board Hammer

Working:- Ram is fixed to the lower end of

the board- Board is placed between 2 rolls- Ram will be lifted, when both rolls

are pressed against the board

-Working stroke is produced when

the rolls are released.

-Process continues till operator

holds down the treadle

Smith forging operations

Most commonly used forging operations are:

1. Upsetting2. Bending3. Punching4. Drawing down5. Setting down6. Welding7. Cutting8. Fullering

UPSETTING (HEADING) 9

Upset forging operations

Process of increasing the thickness of a bar by reducing its length by end pressure.

BENDING

Curvilinear

Angular

Bending operations

Process of producing curvilinear or angular bends on a bar.

Done on the edge of the anvil face or beak or swage block

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Punching operation

Process of producing holes by using

a hot punch over the pritchel hole of

the anvil.

Drawing down or SwagingProcess of increasing the length of a bar at the expense of its width or thickness or both.

Setting DownIt is a localized drawing down or swaging operation.

CUTTING

• Cutting-off is a form of chiseling whereby a long piece of stock is cut into several specified lengths, or a forging is separated (cut-oft) from its stock.

When cutting with chisels , the hammer blows are directed on to the chisel head, which must be slightly rounded.

WELDING• Joining process performed in the smithy shop.

FULLERING• Fullering or spreading the metal along the

length of the job is done by working separate sections.

• In this case, the axis of the job is positioned perpendicular to the width of the flat die.

Forged parts vs. cast parts• FORGED PARTS ARE STRONGER THAN CASTING• Forging refines the structure of metal by smashing up

large grain formations and closing up any cavities that may be present.

• Pieces formed by forging exhibit directional properties indicated by the flow lines .

• The original crystals typical of the cast structure are destroyed, hard films of brittle constituents or impurities are broken up or rolled in to fibers and a uniformity is established.

• In addition to those effects certain mechanical properties, particularly elongation percentage, resistance to shock and vibration are improved, and in favorable cases cracks and blow holes are welded up.