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BHEL has acquired certifications to Quality

BHARAT HEAVY ELECTRICAL LIMITED (BHEL)

ABOUT BHEL:BHEL is the largest engineering and manufacturing enterprise in India in the energy related infrastructure, today. BHEL was established more than 40 years ago, ushering in the indigenous Heavy Electrical Equipment industry in India - a dream that has been more than realized with a well-recognized track record of performance. The company has been earning profits continuously since 1971-72 and paying dividends since 1976-77. BHEL manufactures over 180 products under 30 major product groups and caters to core sectors of the Indian Economy viz., Power Generation & Transmission, Industry, Transportation, Telecommunication, Renewable Energy, etc. The wide network of BHEL's 14 manufacturing divisions, four Power Sector regional centres, over 100 project sites, eight service centres and 18 regional offices, enables the Company to promptly serve its customers and provide them with suitable products, systems and services -efficiently and at competitive prices. The high level of quality & reliability of its products is due to the emphasis on design, engineering and manufacturing to international standards by acquiring and adapting some of the best 2 technologies from leading companies in the world, together with technologies developed in its own R&D centres.

BHEL's operations are organised around three business sectors, namely Power, Industry including Transmission, Transportation, Telecommunication & Renewable Energy - and Overseas Business. This enables BHEL to have a strong customer orientation, to be sensitive to his needs and respond quickly to the changes in the market. BHEL's vision is to become a world-class engineering enterprise, committed to enhancing stakeholder value. The company is striving to give shape to its aspirations and fulfill the expectations of the country to become a global player. The greatest strength of BHEL is its highly skilled and committed 42,600 employees. Every employee is given an equal opportunity to develop himself and grow in his career. Continuous training and retraining, career planning, a positive work culture and participative style of management, all these have engendered development of a committed and motivated workforce setting new benchmarks in terms of productivity, quality and responsiveness. BHEL Haridwar has two units namely Heavy Electrical Equipment Plant (HEEP) and Central
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Foundry Forge Plant (CFFP). The Heavy Electricals Equipment Plant (HEEP) located in Haridwar, is one of the major manufacturing plants of BHEL. The core business of HEEP includes design and manufacture of large steam and gas turbines, turbo generators, hydro turbines and generators, hydro turbines and generators, large AC/DC motors and so on. Central Foundry Forge Plant (CFFP) is engaged in manufacture of Steel Castings: Upto 50 Tons Per Piece Wt & Steel Forgings: Upto 55 Tons Per Piece Wt. HEEP & CFFP have been awarded ISO-9001 and ISO-9002 certificates respectively. HEEP & CFFP units of BHEL, Haridwar have also been awarded ISO-14001.

ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE

2) 3) 4) 5) 6)

Melting Refining De-slagging Tapping Furnace turn-around

Furnace Charging The first step in the production of any heat is to select the grade of steel to be made. The scrap must be layered in the bucket according to size and density to promote the rapid formation of a liquid pool of steel in the hearth while providing protection for the sidewalls and roof from electric arc radiation. The roof and electrodes are raised and are swung to the side of the furnace to allow the scrap charging. The roof and electrodes swing back into place over the furnace. The roof is lowered and then the electrodes are lowered to strike an arc on the scrap. This commences the melting portion of the cycle. Melting The melting period is the heart of EAF operations. Melting is accomplished by supplying energy to the furnace interior. This energy can be electrical or chemical. Electrical energy is supplied via the graphite electrodes
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and is usually the largest contributor in melting operations. the electrodes will penetrate the scrap sufficiently so that a long arc (high voltage) tap can be used without fear of radiation damage to the roof. Chemical energy may be supplied via several sources including oxy-fuel burners and oxygen lances. Once the final scrap charge is melted, the furnace sidewalls are exposed to intense radiation from the arc. As a result, the voltage must be reduced. Refining Refining operations in the electric arc furnace involve the removal of phosphorus, sulfur, aluminum, silicon, manganese and carbon from the steel. Oxygen is lanced at the end of meltdown to lower the bath carbon content to the desired level for tapping. Most of the compounds which are to be removed during refining have a higher affinity for oxygen that the carbon. Thus the oxygen will preferentially react with these elements to form oxides which float out of the steel and into the slag. De-Slagging

De-slagging operations are carried out to remove impurities from the furnace. During melting and refining operations, some of the undesirable materials within the bath are oxidized and enter the slag phase. During slag foaming, slag may overflow the sill level in the EAF and flow out of the slag door. The following table shows the typical constituents of an EAF slag :
Component CaO SiO2 FeO MgO CaF2 MnO S P Source Charged Oxidation product Oxidation product Charged as dolomite Charged - slag fluidizer Oxidation product Absorbed from steel Oxidation product 2 - 5% Composition Range 40 - 60 % 5 - 15 % 10 - 30 % 3-8%

Tapping Once the desired steel composition and

temperature are achieved in the furnace, the tap-hole is opened, the furnace is tilted, and the steel pours into a ladle for transfer to the next batch operation (usually a ladle furnace or ladle station). During the tapping process bulk alloy additions are made based on the bath analysis and the desired steel grade. Deoxidizers may be added to the steel to lower the oxygen content prior to further processing. This is commonly referred to as "blocking the heat" or "killing the steel". Common deoxidizers are aluminum or silicon in the form of ferrosilicon or silicomanganese. Most carbon steel operations aim for minimal slag carryover. A new slag cover is "built" during tapping. For ladle furnace operations, a calcium aluminate slag is a good choice for sulfur control. Slag forming compounds are added in the ladle at tap so that a slag cover is formed prior to transfer to the ladle furnace. Additional slag materials may be added at the ladle furnace if the slag cover is insufficient. Furnace Turn-around

Furnace turn-around is the period following completion of tapping until the furnace is recharged for the next heat. During this period, the electrodes and roof are raised and the furnace lining is inspected for refractory damage. If necessary, repairs are made to the hearth, slag-line, tap-hole and spout. In the case of a bottom-tapping furnace, the taphole is filled with sand. Repairs to the furnace are made using gunned refractories or mud slingers. In most modern furnaces, the increased use of water-cooled panels has reduced the amount of patching or "fettling" required between heats. Many operations now switch out the furnace bottom on a regular basis (2 to 6 weeks) and perform the hearth maintenance off-line. This reduces the poweroff time for the EAF and maximizes furnace productivity. Furnace turn-around time is generally the largest dead time (i.e. power off) period in the tap-to-tap cycle. With advances in furnace practices this has been reduced from 20 minutes to less than 5 minutes in some newer operations.

Furnace Heat Balance To melt steel scrap, it takes a theoretical

minimum of 300 kWh/ton. To provide superheat above the melting point of 2768o F requires additional energy and for typical tap temperature requirements, the total theoretical energy required usually lies in the range of 350 to 370 kWh/ton. However, EAF steelmaking is only 55 to 65 % efficient and as a result the total equivalent energy input is usually in the range of 560 to 680 kWh/ton for most modern operations. A typical balance for both older and more modern EAFs is given in the following Table shown on next page:

Low to UHP FURNACE Electrical Energy INPUTS Burners Chemical Reactions TOTAL INPUT
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Medium Power Furnace

50 - 60 % 5 - 10 % 30 - 40 % 100%

75 - 85 %

15 - 25 % 100%

Steel Slag OUTPUTS Cooling Water Miscellaneous Offgas

55 - 60 % 8 - 10 % 8 - 10 % 1-3% 17 - 28 %

50 - 55 % 8 - 12 % 5-6% 17 - 30 % 7 - 10 %

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FOUNDRY
In the casting process a pattern is made in the shape of the desired part. This pattern is made out of wood, plastic or metal. Simple designs can be made in a single piece or solid pattern. More complex designs are made in two parts, called split patterns. A split pattern has a top or upper section, called a cope, and a bottom or lower section called a drag. Both solid and split patterns can have cores inserted to complete the final part shape. Where the cope and drag separates is called the parting line. When making a pattern it is best to taper the edges so that the pattern can be removed without breaking the mold. The patterns are then packed in sand with a binder, which helps to harden the sand into a semi-permanent shape. Once the sand mold is cured, the pattern is removed leaving a hollow space in the sand in the shape of the desired part. The pattern is intentionally made larger than the cast part to allow for shrinkage during cooling. Sand cores can then be inserted in the mold to create holes and improve the casting's net shape. Simple patterns are normally open on top and melted metal poured into them. Two piece molds are clamped together and
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melted metal is then poured in to an opening, called a gate. If necessary, vent holes will be created to allow hot gases to escape during the pour. The pouring temperature of the metal should be a few hundred degrees higher than the melting point to assure good fluidity, thereby avoiding prematurely cooling, which will cause voids and porosity. When the metal cools, the sand mold is removed and the metal part is ready for secondary operations, such as machining and plating.

A FLOW CHART depicting the process is shown on the next page.

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FLOW CHART:RECEIPT OF COMMERCIAL ENQUIRY FOR CASTIGNS

FEASIBLITY STUDY IN VIEW OF CFFP FACILITY THROUGH STUDY OF DRG AND SPECIFICATION

DELIVERY (TO BE ARRANGED FROM SHOP) REGRET CONTRACT REVIEW ACCEPT PO & WO

PREPARATION OF TECHNOLOGICAL DOCUMENTS (a) Technology drg (b) Process Sheet (c) Template Drg (d) Manufacturing Plan if desired by customer.

VERIFICATION OF METHOD DRG THORUGH SOLSTAR ON SELECTIVE BASIS- INVOLVES CREATING 3D MODELS ISSUE OF TECHNOLOGY DRG AND PROCESS SHEET TO FOUNDRY PLANNING CELL

ISSUE OF ROUGH MACHINING DRG TO MACHINE SHOP

ISSUE OF MANUFACTURING PLAN TO SHOP QC

SHOP FOLLOW UP FOR 1ST CASTING AND SOLVE THE DAY TO DAY TECHNOLOGY RELATED PROBLEM 14

Steps and equipments in foundry process involved are:Melting Melting is performed in a furnace. Virgin material, external scrap, internal scrap, and alloying elements are used to charge the furnace. Virgin material refers to commercially pure forms of the primary metal used to form a particular alloy. Alloying elements are either pure forms of an alloying element, like electrolytic nickel, or alloys of limited composition, such as ferroalloys or master alloys. External scrap is material from other forming processes such as punching, forging, or machining. Internal scrap consists of the gates, risers, or defective castings. The process includes melting the charge, refining the melt, adjusting the melt chemistry and tapping into a transport vessel. Refining is done to remove deleterious gases and elements from the molten metal. Material is added during the melting process to bring the final chemistry within a specific range specified by industry and/or internal standards. During the tap, final chemistry adjustments are made.

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Furnace Several specialised furnaces are used to melt the metal. Furnaces are refractory lined vessels that contain the material to be melted and provide the energy to melt it. Modern furnace types include electric arc furnaces (EAF), induction furnaces, cupolas, reverberatory, and crucible furnaces. Furnace choice is dependent on the alloy system and quantities produced. For ferrous materials, EAFs, cupolas, and induction furnaces are commonly used. Reverberatory and crucible furnaces are common for producing aluminum castings. Furnace design is a complex process, and the design can be optimized based on multiple factors. Furnaces in foundries can be any size, ranging from mere ounces to hundreds of tons, and they are designed according to the type of metals that are to be melted. Also, furnaces must be designed around the fuel being used to produce the desired temperature. For low temperature melting point alloys, such as zinc or tin, melting furnaces may reach around 327 Celsius. Electricity, propane, or natural gas are usually used for these temperatures. For high melting point alloys such as steel or nickel based alloys, the furnace must be designed for
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temperatures over 3600 Celsius. The fuel used to reach these high temperatures can be electricity or coke. The majority of foundries specialize in a particular metal and have furnaces dedicated to these metals. For example, an iron foundry (for cast iron) may use a cupola, induction furnace, or EAF, while a steel foundry will use an EAF or induction furnace. Bronze or brass foundries use crucible furnaces or induction furnaces. Most aluminum foundries use either an electric resistance or gas heated crucible furnaces or reverberatory furnaces . Casting Many large foundries operate their own industrial railways, such as at the Northrop Grumman Newport News Foundry Main article: Casting Prior to pouring a casting, the foundry produces a mold. The molds are constructed by several different processes dependent upon the type of foundry, metal to be poured, quantity of parts to be produced, size of the casting and complexity of the casting. These mold processes include:
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Sand casting - Green or resin bonded sand mold. Lost-foam casting - Polystyrene pattern with a mixture of ceramic and sand mold. Investment casting - Wax or similar sacrificial pattern with a ceramic mold. Plaster casting - Plaster mold. V-Process casting - Vacuum is used in conjunction with thermoformed plastic to form sand molds. No moisture, clay or resin is needed for sand to retain shape. Die casting - Metal mold. Billet (ingot) casting - Simple mold for producing ingots of metal normally for use in other foundries.

Pouring In a foundry, molten metal is poured into molds. Pouring can be accomplished with gravity, or it may be assisted with a vacuum or pressurized gas. Many modern foundries use robots or automatic pouring machines for pouring molten metal. Traditionally, molds were poured by hand using ladles.

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Shakeout The solidified metal component is then removed from its mold. Where the mold is sand based, this can be done by shaking or tumbling. This frees the casting from the sand, which is still attached to the metal runners and gates - which are the channels through which the molten metal traveled to reach the component itself. Degating Degating is the removal of the heads, runners, gates, and risers from the casting. Runners, gates, and risers may be removed using cutting torches, band saws or ceramic cutoff blades. For some metal types, and with some gating system designs, the sprue, runners and gates can be removed by breaking them away from the casting with a hammer or specially designed knockout machinery. Risers must usually be removed using a cutting method (see above) but some newer methods of riser removal use knockoff machinery with special designs incorporated into the riser neck geometry that allow the riser to break off at the right place. The gating system required to produce castings in a mold yields leftover metal,
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including heads, risers and sprue, sometimes collectively called sprue, that can exceed 50% of the metal required to pour a full mold. Since this metal must be remelted as salvage, the yield of a particular gating configuration becomes an important economic consideration when designing various gating schemes, to minimize the cost of excess sprue, and thus melting costs. Surface cleaning After degating, sand or other molding media may adhere to the casting. To remove this the surface is cleaned using a blasting process. This means a granular media will be propelled against the surface of the casting to mechanically knock away the adhering sand. The media may be blown with compressed air, or may be hurled using a shot wheel. The media strikes the casting surface at high velocity to dislodge the molding media (for example, sand, slag) from the casting surface. Numerous materials may be used as media, including steel, iron, other metal alloys, aluminum oxides, glass beads, walnut shells, baking powder or numerous other materials. The blasting media is selected to develop the color and reflectance of the cast surface. Terms used to describe this process include
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cleaning, blasting, shotblasting and sand blasting of castings. Finishing The final step in the process usually involves grinding, sanding, or machining the component in order to achieve the desired dimensional accuracies, physical shape and surface finish. Removing the remaining gate material, called a gate stub, is usually done using a grinder or sanding. These processes are used because their material removal rates are slow enough to control the amount of material. These steps are done prior to any final machining. After grinding, any surfaces that require tight dimensional control are machined. Many castings are machined in CNC milling centers. The reason for this is that these processes have better dimensional capability and repeatability than many casting processes. However, it is not uncommon today for many components to be used without machining. A few foundries provide other services before shipping components to their customers. Painting components to prevent corrosion and improve visual appeal is common. Some foundries will assemble their castings into
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complete machines or sub-assemblies. Other foundries weld multiple castings or wrought metals together to form a finished product.

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FORGING

Forging is one of the oldest known metalworking processes. Forging was done historically by a smith using hammer and anvil, and though the use of water power in the production and working of iron dates to the 12th century, the hammer and anvil are not obsolete. The smithy has evolved over centuries to the forge shop with engineered processes, production equipment, tooling, raw materials and products to meet the demands of modern industry. In modern times, industrial forging is done either with presses or with hammers powered by compressed air, electricity, hydraulics or steam. These hammers are large, having reciprocating weights in the thousands of pounds. Smaller power hammers, 500 lb (230 kg) or less reciprocating weight, and hydraulic presses are common in art smithies as well. Steam hammers are becoming obsolete.

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Hot forging Hot forging is defined as working a metal above its recrystallization temperature. The main advantage of hot forging is that as the metal is deformed the strain-hardening effects are negated by the recrystallization process.] Cold forging Cold forging is defined as working a metal below its recrystallization temperature, but usually around room temperature. If the temperature is above 0.3 times the melting temperature (on an absolute scale) then it qualifies as warm forging.

Open-die drop-hammer forging Open-die forging is also known as smith forging. In open-die forging a hammer comes down and deforms the workpiece, which is placed on a stationary anvil. Open-die forging gets its name from the fact that the dies (the working surfaces of the forge that contact the workpiece) do not enclose the workpiece, allowing it to flow except where contacted by the dies. Therefore the operator needs to orient and position the workpiece to get the
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desired shape. The dies are usually flat in shape, but some have a specially shaped surface for specialized operations. For instance, the die may have a round, concave, or convex surface or be a tool to form holes or be a cut-off tool. Open-die forging lends itself to short runs and is appropriate for art smithing and custom work. Other times open-die forging is used to rough shape ingots to prepare them for further operations. This can also orient the grains to increase strength in the required direction. Impression-die drop-hammer forging Impression-die forging is also called closed-die forging. In impression-die work metal is placed in a die resembling a mold, which is attached to the anvil. Usually the hammer die is shaped as well. The hammer is then dropped on the workpiece, causing the metal to flow and fill the die cavities. The hammer is generally in contact with the workpiece on the scale of milliseconds. Depending on the size and complexity of the part the hammer may be dropped multiple times in quick succession. Excess metal is squeezed out of the die cavities; this is called flash. The flash cools more rapidly than the rest of the material; this
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cool metal is stronger than the metal in the die so it helps prevent more flash from forming. This also forces the metal to completely fill the die cavity. After forging the flash is trimmed off. In commercial impression-die forging the workpiece is usually moved through a series of cavities in a die to get from an ingot to the final form. The first impression is used to distribute the metal into the rough shape in accordance to the needs of later cavities; this impression is called a edging, fullering, or bending impression. The following cavities are called blocking cavities in which the workpiece is working into a shape that more and more resembles the final product. These stages usually impart the workpiece with generous bends and large fillets. The final shape is forged in a final or finisher impression cavity. If there is only a short run of parts to be done it may be more economical for the die to lack a final impression cavity and rather machine the final features. Impression-die forging has been further improved in recent years through increased automation which includes induction heating, mechanical feeding, positioning and
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manipulation, and the direct heat treatment of parts after forging. One variation of impression-die forging is called flashless forging, or true closed-die forging. In this type of forging the die cavities are completely closed, which keeps the workpiece from forming flash. The major advantage to this process is that less metal is lost to flash. Flash can account for 20 to 45% of the starting material. The disadvantages of this process included: additional cost due to a more complex die design, the need for better lubrication, and better workpiece placement . There are other variations of part formation that integrate impression-die forging. One method incorporates casting a forging preform from liquid metal. The casting is removed after it has solidified, but while still hot. It is then finished in a single cavity die. The flash is trimmed and then quenched to room temperature to harden the part. Another variation follows the same process as outlined above, except the preform is produced by the spraying deposition of metal droplet into shaped collectors (similar to the Osprey process)

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Closed-die forging has a high initial cost due to the creation of dies and required design work to make working die cavities. However, it has low recurring costs for each part, thus forgings become more economical with more volume. This is one of the major reasons forgings are often used in the automotive and tool industry. Another reason forgings are common in these industrial sectors is because forgings generally have about a 20% higher strength to weight ratio compared to cast or machined parts of the same material. Press forging Press forging is variation of drop-hammer forging. Unlike drop-hammer forging, press forges work slowly by applying continuous pressure or force. The amount of time the dies are in contact with the workpiece is measured in seconds (as compared to the milliseconds of drop-hammer forges). The press forging operation can be done either cold or hot. The main advantage of press forging, as compared to drop-hammer forging, is its ability to deform the complete workpiece. Drophammer forging usually only deforms the surfaces of the workpiece in contact with the hammer and anvil; the interior of the
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workpiece will stay relatively undeformed. Another advantage to the process includes the knowledge of the new parts strain rate. We specifically know what kind of strain can be put on the part, because the compression rate of the press forging operation is controlled. There are a few disadvantages to this process, most stemming from the workpiece being in contact with the dies for such an extended period of time. The operation is a time consuming process due to the amount of steps and how long each of them take. The workpiece will cool faster because the dies are in contact with workpiece; the dies facilitate drastically more heat transfer than the surrounding atmosphere. As the workpiece cools it becomes stronger and less ductile, which may induce cracking if deformation continues. Therefore heated dies are usually used to reduce heat loss, promote surface flow, and enable the production of finer details and closer tolerances. The workpiece may also need to be reheated. When done in high productivity, press forging is more economical than hammer forging. The operation also creates closer tolerances. In hammer forging a lot of the work is absorbed by the machinery, when in press forging, the greater percentage of work is used in the work piece. Another advantage is
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that the operation can be used to create any size part because there is no limit to the size of the press forging machine. New press forging techniques have been able to create a higher degree of mechanical and orientation integrity. By the constraint of oxidation to the outer most layers of the part material, reduced levels of microcracking take place in the finished part. Press forging can be used to perform all types of forging, including open-die and impressiondie forging. Impression-die press forging usually requires less draft than drop forging and has better dimensional accuracy. Also, press forgings can often be done in one closing of the dies, allowing for easy automation. Upset forging Upset forging increases the diameter of the workpiece by compressing its length. Based on number of pieces produced this is the most widely used forging process A few examples of common parts produced using the upset forging process are engine valves, couplings, bolts, screws, and other fasteners. Upset forging is usually done in special high speed machines called crank presses, but upsetting can also be done in a vertical crank
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press or a hydraulic press. The machines are usually set up to work in the horizontal plane, to facilitate the quick exchange of workpieces from one station to the next. The initial workpiece is usually wire or rod, but some machines can accept bars up to 25 cm (10 in.) in diameter and a capacity of over 1000 tons. The standard upsetting machine employs split dies that contain multiple cavities. The dies open enough to allow the workpiece to move from one cavity to the next; the dies then close and the heading tool, or ram, then moves longitudinally against the bar, upsetting it into the cavity. If all of the cavities are utilized on every cycle then a finished part will be produced with every cycle, which is why this process is ideal for mass production The following three rules must be followed when designing parts to be upset forged: 1. The length of unsupported metal that can be upset in one blow without injurious buckling should be limited to three times the diameter of the bar. 2. Lengths of stock greater than three times the diameter may be upset successfully provided that the diameter of the upset is not more than 1.5 times the diameter of the stock.
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3.

In an upset requiring stock length greater than three times the diameter of the stock, and where the diameter of the cavity is not more than 1.5 times the diameter of the stock, the length of unsupported metal beyond the face of the die must not exceed the diameter of the bar.

Automatic hot forging The automatic hot forging process involves feeding mill-length steel bars (typically 7 m or 24 ft long) into one end of the machine at room temperature and hot forged products emerge from the other end. This all occurs very quickly; small parts can be made at a rate of 180 parts per minute (ppm) and larger can be made at a rate of 90 ppm. The parts can be solid or hollow, round or symmetrical, up to 6 kg (12 lbs), and up to 18 cm (7 in.) in diameter. The main advantages to this process are its high output rate and ability to accept low cost materials. Little labor is required to operate the machinery. There is no flash produced so material savings are between 20 30% over conventional forging. The final product is a consistent 1050 C (1900 F) so air cooling will result in a part that is still easily machinable (the advantage being the lack of
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annealing required after forging). Tolerances are usually 0.3 mm (0.012 in.), surfaces are clean, and draft angles are 0.5 to 1. Tool life is nearly double that of conventional forging because contact times are on the order of 6/100 of a second. The downside to the process is it only feasible on smaller symmetric parts and cost; the initial investment can be over $10 million, so large quantities are required to justify this process.[ The process starts by heating up the bar to 1200 to 1300 C (2200 to 2350 F) in less than 60 seconds using high power induction coils. It is then descaled with rollers, sheared into blanks, and transferred several successive forming stages, during which it is upset, preformed, final forged, and pierced (if necessary). This process can also be couple with high speed cold forming operations. Generally, the cold forming operation will do the finishing stage so that the advantages of cold-working can be obtained, while maintaining the high speed of automatic hot forging Examples of parts made by this process are: wheel hub unit bearings, transmission gears, tapered roller bearing races, stainless steel coupling flanges, and neck rings for LP gas
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cylinders. Manual transmission gears are an example of automatic hot forging used in conjunction with cold working. Equipment The most common type of forging equipment is the hammer and anvil. Principles behind the hammer and anvil are still used today in drophammer equipment. The principle behind the machine is very simple--raise the hammer and then drop it or propel it into the workpiece, which rests on the anvil. The main variations between drop-hammers are in the way the hammer is powered; the most common being air and steam hammers. Drop-hammers usually operate in a vertical position. The main reason for this is excess energy (energy that isn't used to deform the workpiece) that isn't released as heat or sound needs to be transmitted to the foundation. Moreover, a large machine base is needed to absorb the impacts To overcome some of the shortcomings of the drop-hammer, the counterblow machine or impactor is used. In a counterblow machine both the hammer and anvil move and the workpiece is held between them. Here excess energy becomes recoil. This allows the
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machine to work horizontally and consist of a smaller base. Other advantages include less noise, heat and vibration. It also produces a distinctly different flow pattern. Both of these machines can be used for open die or closed die forging A forging press, often just called a press, is used for press forging. There are two main types: mechanical and hydraulic presses. Mechanical presses function by using cams, cranks or toggles to produce a preset (a predetermined force at a certain location in the stroke) and reproducible stroke. Due to the nature of this type of system difference forces are available at different stroke positions. Mechanical presses are faster than their hydraulic counterparts (up to 50 strokes per minute). Their capacities range from 3 to 160 MN (300 to 18,000 tons). Hydraulic presses use fluid pressure and a piston to generate force. The advantages of a hydraulic press over a mechanical press are its flexibility and greater capacity. The disadvantages are that it is slower, larger, and more costly to operate. The roll forging, upsetting, and automatic hot forging processes all use specialized machinery.
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