MickaelUSA Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Hello I am absolutely new to forging but I have an increasing need to make forged billets of 4130, 4140 and 4340 alloy steel. I own a 900 tons Birdsboro press that has a bed size of 66 inches x 32 inches that can deliver about 850 psi on this bed. The parts that I am looking to forge will be max 10 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches so the pressure that will be applied on this small surface will be close to 36,000 psi. The descent speed is quite high and I believe that it is > 4 inches per second, can someone tell me if this equipment would be adequate for press forging? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Easy enough to try it out and see if it suits your needs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickaelUSA Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 What I would like to prevent is to buy all the equipment and then be in a situation where I cannot use them because the hydraulic press is not a correct equipment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Well you should be able to build a JABOD for around zero dollars and using lump charcoal heat a piece and try it out all on a good afternoon. If you have access to a welder you can even weld a handle on a piece and not need to use tongs. Shoot if we know where in the world you were at you might be able to get a local smith to bring out a propane forge and kit for free! (If you are in Central New Mexico, USA we can do it Saturday morning. Or even Friday if I take a day off.) So no buying of equipment and solid results to base your judgement on if it will work for your needs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Welcome aboard Michael, glad to have you. If you put your general location in the header you'll have a chance of meeting up with a member living within visiting distance. That'll let you test your press for free or maybe lunch. There's only ONE WAY to tell if your press will do what you need and that's try it out. How do you expect us to know? You haven't even told us what kind of forgings you wish to make and that makes a big difference. Open or closed die? Simple or complex shape. On and on. Sometimes press forging requires several steps. If you are not willing to spend money to determine if you CAN do the work we can't help you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Latticino Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Sounds like you are looking for advice on medium scale industrial forgings. We are mostly hobby blacksmiths here and don't necessarily have the background to assist you. For anything on the scale we work with, a press like that would be extreme overkill. I recommend you engage a licensed professional mechanical engineer familiar with industrial forgings to advise you. You will need scale, dimensioned drawings of the expected forgings with all tolerances listed for the final part as well as an indication of what final machining will be used on the forged billet. If all you are doing is forge welding pattern welded billets that machine will likely work well, but the power cost to run it will be outrageous. YOu could crush most blacksmith sized forging presses to a pulp inside your press... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickaelUSA Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 Thank you very much for the input, it is actually a press to serve a hobby and I was reflecting how I can use it further than just pressing aluminum sheets. I am not looking specifically to forge parts in a close die but rather to forge billets that will be machined afterwards. I live in Illinois near Libertyville so if someone is interested to leverage it, you are most welcome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 We do have a member here who is a metallurgist at Scot Forge in Wisconsin and so has experience with much larger presses. He is also a hobby smith and so may have experience with much smaller ones as well. Perhaps he will contact you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irondragon Forge ClayWorks Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 42 minutes ago, MickaelUSA said: Illinois near Libertyville Welcome from the Ozark mountains. We won't remember this once leaving this post, hence the suggestion to put it in your profile. Wish I were closer to you because I would love to see that beast in action. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWISTEDWILLOW Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 5 hours ago, MickaelUSA said: The parts that I am looking to forge will be max 10 inches x 5 inches x 5 inches so Okay super I’m curious! What are you gonna forge 10x5x5” ? That’s the size of a small swage block! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 That will take some heating; luckily it will stay hot for a while so you can heat it outside and transfer it to the press. 70 pounds of 1600+ degF steel will be interesting to move and manipulate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickaelUSA Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 1 hour ago, TWISTEDWILLOW said: Okay super I’m curious! What are you gonna forge 10x5x5” ? That’s the size of a small swage block! I am going to manufacture an aircraft parts with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Landing gear? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickaelUSA Posted January 26, 2022 Author Share Posted January 26, 2022 18 minutes ago, ThomasPowers said: Landing gear? Different applications are possible but in this case... you are correct, this is a landing gear part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Landing gear have to be incredably tough and tend to be heavy even on planes where everything else is supposed to be as light as possible. So with the weight and alloys mentioned Landing Gear came to mind. (Jet Engine parts require different alloys.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 I hope you can afford the insurance! The liability exposure you subject yourself to is enough to ruin large companies. Just ONE landing gear failure and the relatives of the survivors will own you. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swedefiddle Posted January 27, 2022 Share Posted January 27, 2022 Welcome Mickael, Glenn Moon outside of Canberra Australia, has an 1,100 Tonne Hydraulic Press. His came out of the Railroad Shop in Sydney, when it closed. The US Government built two, 50,000 Ton Hydraulic Press' after the 2nd War, to press aircraft parts. They found Germany had a 35,000 Tonne Press to make structural parts for the Luftwaffe during the War. I believe ALCAN is using one in Cincinnati to press Titanium parts for Aerospace and Turbines. Bigger Boys = Bigger Toys!! To answer your original question, Why Not!! Slow and steady wins the race. They are not like a Hammer, the effort goes to the center of your work piece and bulges it out. Neil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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