Service You Should Expect from Your Aluminum Forging Company

Thanks to forged aluminum’s added strength and light weight, it’s in high demand in countless industries. The aviation, medical, automotive, and construction industries, to name a few, rely heavily on forged aluminum.

No matter your line of work, if you need durable parts or tools that don’t require other heavyweight machinery to lift and operate, consider aluminum over its steel and iron counterparts. You’ll want to find an aluminum forging company that offers customized parts at a reasonable price, all without sacrificing quality.

 If you’re on the hunt for a new parts provider, look for experienced companies that provide aluminum forging solutions and have knowledge in your industry. For the best possible service, look for companies that offer the following technology and support.

Both In-house Tooling and Dyeing

One primary service to look for in your aluminum forging service is in-house tooling and dyeing. Aluminum tooling is the process of taking aluminum from its pure form and strengthening it by mixing it with other materials to change its properties, in addition to cold forging it, which nearly doubles its strength.

As for aluminum dyeing—known as anodizing in the forging industry—it’s the process of dyeing the finished aluminum product by dunking it into an electrochemical bath that covers its surface with a decorative and protective layer.

Having both procedures done in-house ensures compatibility between the anodizing materials and the aluminum forge. Not to mention, transporting unprotected aluminum elsewhere for the dying process can result in damages.

Near-net Shape Forging

Near-Net Shape (NNS) is a relatively new metal manufacturing process, wherein the resulting part is as close to the end-product as possible. Using this process saves you time and money as it requires less raw materials in weight and quantity, less machine time, and a shorter and simpler refining process to modify the part to its final form.

Inspection Offerings

Most industry applications that use aluminum tools and parts also require the metal to meet set industry standards. To ensure quality, look for an aluminum forging company that offers the following testing and inspection procedures:

  • Components– Your company of choice should test the aluminum for its chemical components using atomic emission spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to accurately document the different minerals and metals present in an alloy or the acceptable impurity level in pure aluminum forging.
  • Durability and Flexibility– Durability tests measure how much pressure the aluminum can take before snapping. Flexibility, on the other hand, measures how much the aluminum can bend before breaking.
  • Surface Quality– Ultrasonic and radiographic scanners test the aluminum for surface impurities and smoothness. These aspects can have a significant impact within industries that count on precision, such as aviation, automotive, and medicine.

Quality Certifications

Don’t rely on your own judgment alone when choosing an aluminum forging company—count on third-party testing, industry certifications, and network memberships. For example, aluminum forging companies can have the following distinctions:

Supply Chain Management and Shipping

Excellence in aluminum forging relies on both quality and efficiency. Working with a company with a flexible supply chain is crucial to eliminating production lags when you run out of inventory. It also saves storage costs by only shipping the parts you need when you need them.

Forging is an Art and a Science

Looking for the right aluminum forging company can seem complicated, as you have to worry about design precision, material quality, inspection, and production timelines. But if you know what to look for, the task becomes far more manageable. Look at a company’s previous projects and certificates, ask for recommendations, and read the reviews of their previous clients to get the full picture of whom you’ll be doing a critical part of your business with.

Rylie Holt