The main manufacturing process of aluminum alloy forgings and its advantages and disadvantages are analyzed

Aluminum alloy forgings are widely used in many industrial fields because of their unique properties, such as high strength, good plasticity, corrosion resistance and low density. These characteristics largely depend on the manufacturing process. This paper will discuss the main production processes of aluminum alloy forgings in detail, and analyze their respective advantages and limitations.

1. Forging process
   Forging is a process that deforms metal in a plastic state by applying pressure and is suitable for the production of aluminum alloy forgings of various shapes and sizes. Forging can be subdivided into hot forging and cold forging.
   Advantages: The forging process can produce high-performance forgings with good mechanical properties, high dimensional accuracy and surface quality. In addition, the forging process can also achieve the densification of the metal, improve the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the material.
   Limitations: The investment of forging equipment is large, the energy consumption is high, and the technical requirements of the operator are high. In addition, the high rate of waste generated in the forging process is not conducive to cost control.
2. Extrusion process
   Extrusion is the process of putting metal billet into the extrusion cylinder and applying pressure through the extrusion rod to make the metal extrude from the hole of the mold to form the desired shape.
   Advantages: The extrusion process has high production efficiency, high material utilization, and can produce forgings with complex cross-section shapes. In addition, the extrusion process can produce forgings with continuous fiber structure and uniform mechanical properties.
   Limitations: The design and manufacture of extrusion molds is difficult and costly. At the same time, the extrusion process has high requirements on the shape and size of the billet, which limits the flexibility of its application.
3. Rolling process
   Rolling is the process of passing metal billets between a pair of rotating rolls to cause them to undergo plastic deformation to obtain the desired shape and size.
   Advantages: The rolling process has high production efficiency and is suitable for large-scale production. In addition, the rolling process can produce forgings with good surface quality and dimensional accuracy.
   Limitations: The rolling process is mainly suitable for the production of flat shape forgings such as plates, strips and profiles, and it is difficult to produce forgings with complex shapes and structures.
4. Casting process
   Casting is the process of pouring molten metal into a mold and allowing it to cool and solidify to form the desired shape. Although the casting process is mainly used to produce castings, in some cases, it can also be used to produce aluminum alloy forgings.
   Advantages: The casting process can produce forgings with complex shapes and structures, and the production cycle is relatively short. In addition, the casting process can produce large forgings to meet the needs of some specific applications.
   Limitations: Forgings produced by the casting process have loose internal organization and poor mechanical properties, requiring subsequent heat treatment to improve their properties. In addition, the casting process is easy to produce shrinkage holes, cracks and other defects, affecting the quality of forging.
   In summary, the production process of aluminum alloy forgings has its own advantages and limitations. When choosing the right production process, it is necessary to consider the performance requirements of the forging, production scale, cost and production cycle. At the same time, with the progress of science and technology and the development of new processes, the production process of aluminum alloy forgings will continue to improve and optimize.