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Forming, Working and Heat-Treating Metal

The document discusses different methods for forming and treating metal. It describes casting as heating metal until molten and pouring it into a mold, while sintering uses metal powder compressed and heated in a die. Extrusion forces molten metal through a die to shape it. Metal can be worked or forged through hammering or rolling while hot or cold. Common techniques include drop forging using dies and hammers, as well as shot-peening to work harden surfaces. Heat treating changes a metal's properties by heating and cooling it, as summarized in the table.

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Faten Chekman
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288 views

Forming, Working and Heat-Treating Metal

The document discusses different methods for forming and treating metal. It describes casting as heating metal until molten and pouring it into a mold, while sintering uses metal powder compressed and heated in a die. Extrusion forces molten metal through a die to shape it. Metal can be worked or forged through hammering or rolling while hot or cold. Common techniques include drop forging using dies and hammers, as well as shot-peening to work harden surfaces. Heat treating changes a metal's properties by heating and cooling it, as summarized in the table.

Uploaded by

Faten Chekman
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Forming, working and heat-treating metal

A - Casting, sintering and extruding metal


Metal can be formed into shapes using heat and pressure. Casting involves heating metal
until it becomes molten (liquid) and pouring it, or forcing it under pressure, into a mould
called a die. Instead of being cast, metal components can be formed by sintering. This is
done by using metal powder instead of molten metal. The powder is placed in a die and
compressed into a solid mass. It is then heated (though not melted) until it becomes sintered
- that is, the powder particles join together structurally, due to the heat.
Metal can also be shaped by extruding it into long lengths. Extrusion involves heating metal
until it is molten, then forcing it at high pressure through a shaping tool- also called a dieto
form bars or tubes, for example. At the same time, the metal cools and becomes solid.
B - Working metal
Traditionally, many metal tools were made by heating iron bars in a fire, called a forge, until
they were red hot or (hotter still) white hot. The metal was then worked- in other words,
shaped by hammering it. Working metal using compression (for example, hammering) is also
called forging. The same basic technique is still in use today, especially with steel. However,
large, automated machines are now used. Metal is often worked (or forged) when hot (hot
forged), but may also be worked when it is cold (cold forged) .
A common forging technique is drop forging, where a heavy hammer is dropped onto a piece of
metal. A die fixed to the hammer compresses the metal into the required shape. Rollers can also
be used to apply compression, with or without heat, to produce hot rolled or cold rolled metal.
Forging also increases the hardness of metal.
This is called work hardening. Metal becomes
work hardened because its structure is changed
by compression. The same result can be achieved
without hammering or rolling - and therefore
without changing the component's shape - by
shot-peening. This involves firing small metal balls
(metal shot) at the surface of components (when
cold), at high speed. After components have been
shot-peened, their surface is significantly harder. Drop forged steel
- Heat treating metal
The properties of a metal can be changed by heat treating it- that is, heating and cooling the
metal. The table below, from the technical information section of a steel supplier's website,
summarizes the main types of heat treatment.
1 Tick what is usually required in the metal forming processes (1-3). Look at A opposite to
help you.

molten metal powder heat heat pressure a die

1 casting + +
2 sintering + + +
3 extrusion + +

2 Decide whether the sentences below are true or false, and correct the false sentences. Look at
B opposite to help you.

1 Metal must always be heated before it can be forged .T


2 When referring to metals, the terms working and forging mean the same.t
3 A common reason for forging metal is to increase its hardness.T
4 One way of forging metal is by heating it and then rolling it.F A common forging technique is drop forging,
where a heavy hammer is dropped onto a piece of
metal. A die fixed to the hammer compresses the metal into the required shape. Rollers can also
be used to apply compression, with or without heat, to produce hot rolled or cold rolled metal.

5 Metal can only be rolled after it has been heated to a high temperature.T
6 When metal is drop forged, it is subjected to compression.
7 Metal can only be work hardened by the process of hot forging.T
8 Shot-peening is a hot forging technique used to work harden metal.F Forging also increases the hardness
of metal.
This is called work hardening. Metal becomes
work hardened because its structure is changed
by compression. The same result can be achieved
without hammering or rolling - and therefore
without changing the component's shape - by
shot-peening.

3 Make correct sentences using one part from each column. Look at C opposite to help you.
The first one has been done for you.
2-2-3 3-1-5 4-3-2 5-4-1

4 Replace the highlighted expressions in the report extract with alternative words and
expressions from A, B and C opposite. Sometimesthereis more than one possible answer.

1-casting 2- worked- in

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