Larger Demands of Aluminum Forgings

The use of forging aluminum alloy is growing in the metal industry. In recent years, aluminum demand is still much stronger compared to other metals, including steel and copper.

Thanks to rapid growth in the transportation and construction industries, aluminum forging’s upward trend is expected to continue over the next several years. Following a market report, the worldwide market for aluminum forgings is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8 percent through 2020, with market revenue rising in the U.S. from $91.2 billion in 2013 to $126.5 billon in 2020. Another report states that in the global automotive industry alone, aluminum forging use is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.4 percent over 2015-2020.

As key suppliers to the automotive and other aluminum-consuming industries, aluminum forging suppliers need to ensure their skills and equipment line up with market demand. Like any material, aluminum forging’s unique properties require manufacturers to be equipped with the right metalworking tools and techniques.

Out of all of the various groups of alloys, aluminum alloys are the easiest forged into precise, intricate shapes. This is because aluminum alloys are:

• Good ductility at normal forging temperatures
• Can be forged in steel dies that are heated to the same temperature as the workpiece
• Do not cause mill scale during heating
• Less forging pressures compared to steel forging
• Can be forged at high or low strain rates

While these properties certainly make aluminum alloys ideal for forging, they also have different requirements compared to other metal forgings. For example, temperature controls and furnace construction during aluminum forging process are different from those used with ferrous materials. Specifically, indirect-fired or electric resistance-type furnaces equipped with internal fans are often preferred for aluminum forging. In most cases, this usually means new furnaces for the steel forger contemplating forging aluminum.

Other forging processes such as trimming, heat treatment, and quality inspection also need to take aluminum’s distinctive attributes into consideration. The same holds true when sawing aluminum. Forging operators that cut and process metal need to make sure they understand what is needed to cost-effectively and efficiently cut aluminum.

In short, the applications of aluminum forgings are getting larger. CFS' rich aluminum forging experience has help us to become one of the largest aluminum forging suppliers in China. Any inquiry of aluminum forgings, pls let us know!