Performance Analysis Of Titanium Alloy Forgings And Castings
Aug 13, 2025
Forging improves the microstructure and mechanical properties of metals. After hot working and deformation through forging, the cast structure undergoes deformation and recrystallization, transforming the original coarse dendrites and columnar grains into a finer, uniformly sized, equiaxed recrystallized structure. This compacts and welds existing segregation, porosity, pores, and slag inclusions within the ingot, creating a denser structure and improving the metal's plasticity and mechanical properties.
Generally speaking, the mechanical properties of castings are lower than those of forgings made of the same material. Furthermore, forging ensures the continuity of the metal's fiber structure, ensuring that the fiber structure of the forging aligns with the forging's shape and that the metal's flow lines are intact, guaranteeing excellent mechanical properties and a long service life. Forgings produced using processes such as precision die forging, cold extrusion, and warm extrusion are unmatched by castings.
1. Aircraft Forgings
By weight, approximately 85% of aircraft components are forgings. Aircraft engine turbine discs, rear axle journals (hollow shafts), blades, wing spars, fuselage ribs, wheel supports, and landing gear inner and outer cylinders are all critical forgings crucial to aircraft safety. Aircraft forgings are often manufactured from high-strength, wear-resistant, and corrosion-resistant aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys, and other valuable materials. To conserve materials and energy, aircraft forgings are mostly produced using die forging or multi-directional die forging presses. By weight, 17.19% of automotive forgings are forgings. A typical car consists of 15 components: body, trunk, engine, front axle, rear axle, frame, gearbox, drive shaft, and steering system. Automotive forgings are characterized by complex shapes, low weight, harsh operating conditions, and high safety requirements. For example, the crankshaft, connecting rod, and camshaft used in the engine, the front beam and steering knuckle of the front axle, the axle shafts and axle bushings used in the rear axle, and the transmission gears within the axle box are all critical forgings crucial to the safe operation of the vehicle.
2. Diesel Engine Forgings
Diesel engines are a type of power machinery, commonly used as engines. For example, large diesel engines use over ten types of forgings, including cylinder heads, main journals, crankshaft end flanges, output shafts, connecting rods, piston rods, piston heads, crosshead pins, crankshaft drive gears, ring gears, intermediate gears, and oil pump bodies.
3. Marine Forgings
Marine forgings fall into three categories: main engine forgings, shafting forgings, and rudder forgings. Main engine forgings are similar to diesel engine forgings. Shafting forgings include thrust shafts, intermediate shafts, and stern shafts. Rudder forgings include rudder stocks, rudder posts, and pintles.
4. Weaponry Forgings
Forgings play an extremely important role in the weapons industry. By weight, 60% of a tank is made up of forgings. Forgings include the barrel, muzzle brake, and breech block of artillery pieces; rifled barrels and triangular bayonets in infantry weapons; rocket and submarine depth charge launchers and mountings; stainless steel valve bodies for nuclear submarine high-pressure coolers; artillery shells and cartridges; and other materials used in weapon manufacturing.
5. Petrochemical Forgings
Forgings are widely used in petrochemical equipment. Examples include manholes and flanges for spherical storage tanks; various tube sheets and butt-weld flanges for heat exchangers; integral forged cylinders (pressure vessels) for catalytic cracking reactors; cylinder segments for hydrogenation reactors; and the top, bottom, and end caps for fertilizer equipment.
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