CLOSED-DIE · HOT · COLD · LIQUID-DIE
Aluminium forging
for structural parts
Forged blanks and CNC-finished components from 300–2500T presses — stronger grain structure than machined bar, no porosity issues of die casting, lower unit cost at volume.
PROCESS ROUTES
Four forging routes, one die shop
Closed-die hot forging
Complex 3-D structural shapes with continuous grain flow — the volume workhorse for crank arms, brackets and links.
Hot forging (aluminium)
Heated billet, lower press loads, good fill for deep ribs and bosses on larger parts.
DECISION DATA
Forging vs CNC-from-solid vs die casting
What actually changes when you convert a machined-from-solid part to a forged blank.
| Dimension | Forging + CNC (XPF) | CNC from solid | Die casting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grain structure | Continuous, follows part shape | Cut through — bar stock grain | Random, dendritic |
| Internal porosity | None | None | Present (anodising risk) |
| Material utilisation | High — near-net blank | Low — chips away 50–80% | High |
| Unit cost at volume | Lowest of the three | Highest | Low, but with porosity caveats |
| Batch sweet spot | Mid–high volume | Prototype / small runs | Very high volume |
| Tooling | Dies required (in-house, ) | None | Dies required, longer cycle |
Compare per project: annual volume, blank-to-finished weight ratio, machine hours and die amortisation decide the crossover — run the numbers with us.
MATERIALS
Four alloys, fully traceable
| Alloy | Typical use at XPF | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6061 | General structural, best all-round | The crank-arm classic — weldable, versatile |
| 6063 | Cosmetic & anodising-heavy parts | Finest anodised appearance |
| 6082 | European-spec structural | Higher-strength 6-series, EN AW-6082 |
| 7075 | High-load performance parts | Top strength-to-weight |
Traceability
- Mill certificate per batch
- Heat-treat to T6 in process
Inspection
- CMM · spectrometer · hardness
- PPAP & FAI supported
Surface finishing
- Anodise Type II / III hard
- Sandblast · powder · ED · polish
SIGNATURE APPLICATION
How we forge a crankset
46–58T chainrings, 170–175 mm arms, narrow-wide and spider builds, sandblast-anodised — the most demanding part we run in volume, and the best proof of what the process delivers.
FAQ
Forging questions engineers ask
Can you forge my geometry?
Draft angles, radii and parting-line position decide it — that’s exactly what the free DFM review answers, with suggested modifications.
What tolerance can you hold?
Forged surfaces per forging standard; critical features are CNC-machined afterwards. State your critical dims on the drawing and we quote to them.
Who owns the dies?
You do — tooling is itemised, and dies live in our in-house die shop.
What does tooling cost and how long?
— quoted per part; die lead time directly gates first articles.
Is cold forging or liquid-die right for me?
Cold forging suits tighter tolerances and thinner walls; liquid-die suits complex thin-walled shapes. We confirm the route in the DFM review.
One drawing is enough to start.
Feasibility, route and cost range — from an engineer, not a sales script.