sales@dropforging.netThe Importance of Product Testing in Drop Forging
When it comes to drop forging, quality assurance is critical. Drop forging product testing is a step in the process that you simply cannot omit. There are a great many ways a drop forging can fail, and if those failures are allowed to slip through, it can be catastrophic to your finished products. There must be an effective quality control procedure in place to test for all the possible failure events a drop forged part can experience.
1. Crack
Crack is the most common defect occured in the part during the drop forging process. The main reason that caused crack issue should be bad control of heating temperature on billets.
Quality assurance professionals usually test for crack using X-ray techniques or destructive testing. Proper drop forging techniques should prevent catastrophic porosity, so it is important to make every possible effort to avoid crack by utilizing good process controls while drop forging. However, testing the finished product for failures helps assure the highest quality product possible.
2. Incorrect Appearance
It is very important that there are visual criteria established for the surface appearance of the forging. This is usually done in the early stages of product development with the customer prior to the mold design. There are a number of reasons why a piece may not look right visually. The most obvious is usually a need for retooling or poor forging process controls.
The only real way to know if a piece doesn’t look the way it is supposed to is by comparing the actual forging surface to the visual standard established by the customer. If a forging is highly cosmetic it is imperative that the drop forger knows what the customer needs for surface finish, then create a written cosmetic standard that will be used in production by the quality team.
3. Dimensional Problems
Some parts may not conform to expected dimensions because of wear in the die or shifting between die halves. These dimensional issues may be too small to detect with the naked eye, but they can still cause problems later. Critical dimensions must be noted on the part print and reviewed with the drop forger during product development to assure the drop forger can meet the dimensional tolerances. Critical dimensions always need to be measured during the forging process by the quality team. Measurements can be simple or sometimes they will need special gages built for very special dimensions on the drop forging.
If you are experiencing frequent dimensional problems or lack of repeatability, you probably need to consider repairing the mold or retooling.
4. Omitted Painting or Assembly Steps
As with appearance issues, the only real way to tell if you have left something out in your finishing or assembly is by looking at the workpiece. These types of problems are nearly always the result of an incorrect procedure. Having clear processes and checklists written out can help to avoid this issue. A good drop forger will have a system to trace the parts during production throughout the plant and also very explicit inspection criteria for each station of the process.
5. Trimming Issues
After drop forging, additional trimming process is operated to remove the excess flash of the parts by a pair of trimming dies. After trimming, the flash marks can still be seen, but should be acceptable!
Product testing for quality assurance can be effective if you take the time to do it properly. It is extremely important because it helps you avoid sending defective parts to customers. Defective parts can cause customer production delays, excess costs, property damage and personal injury, and they can also tarnish your reputation.
Quality assurance also helps you identify areas in your process you can streamline and improve to consistently produce a better product. We at CFS Forge believe strongly in the importance of good quality control.
CFS Forge can do extensive drop forging testing to ensure the highest quality when it comes to your drop forged parts. As a China-based drop forging company with over 30 years in forging industry, we have the experience to provide you with the highest quality product testing in drop forging. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our processes, get in touch with us today.
Drop Forging Failure Possibilities
1. Crack
Crack is the most common defect occured in the part during the drop forging process. The main reason that caused crack issue should be bad control of heating temperature on billets.
Quality assurance professionals usually test for crack using X-ray techniques or destructive testing. Proper drop forging techniques should prevent catastrophic porosity, so it is important to make every possible effort to avoid crack by utilizing good process controls while drop forging. However, testing the finished product for failures helps assure the highest quality product possible.
2. Incorrect Appearance
It is very important that there are visual criteria established for the surface appearance of the forging. This is usually done in the early stages of product development with the customer prior to the mold design. There are a number of reasons why a piece may not look right visually. The most obvious is usually a need for retooling or poor forging process controls.
The only real way to know if a piece doesn’t look the way it is supposed to is by comparing the actual forging surface to the visual standard established by the customer. If a forging is highly cosmetic it is imperative that the drop forger knows what the customer needs for surface finish, then create a written cosmetic standard that will be used in production by the quality team.
3. Dimensional Problems
Some parts may not conform to expected dimensions because of wear in the die or shifting between die halves. These dimensional issues may be too small to detect with the naked eye, but they can still cause problems later. Critical dimensions must be noted on the part print and reviewed with the drop forger during product development to assure the drop forger can meet the dimensional tolerances. Critical dimensions always need to be measured during the forging process by the quality team. Measurements can be simple or sometimes they will need special gages built for very special dimensions on the drop forging.
If you are experiencing frequent dimensional problems or lack of repeatability, you probably need to consider repairing the mold or retooling.
4. Omitted Painting or Assembly Steps
As with appearance issues, the only real way to tell if you have left something out in your finishing or assembly is by looking at the workpiece. These types of problems are nearly always the result of an incorrect procedure. Having clear processes and checklists written out can help to avoid this issue. A good drop forger will have a system to trace the parts during production throughout the plant and also very explicit inspection criteria for each station of the process.
5. Trimming Issues
After drop forging, additional trimming process is operated to remove the excess flash of the parts by a pair of trimming dies. After trimming, the flash marks can still be seen, but should be acceptable!
Why Quality Assurance Matters
Product testing for quality assurance can be effective if you take the time to do it properly. It is extremely important because it helps you avoid sending defective parts to customers. Defective parts can cause customer production delays, excess costs, property damage and personal injury, and they can also tarnish your reputation.
Quality assurance also helps you identify areas in your process you can streamline and improve to consistently produce a better product. We at CFS Forge believe strongly in the importance of good quality control.
Contact CFS Forge For Assistance
CFS Forge can do extensive drop forging testing to ensure the highest quality when it comes to your drop forged parts. As a China-based drop forging company with over 30 years in forging industry, we have the experience to provide you with the highest quality product testing in drop forging. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our processes, get in touch with us today.