What is the difference between a forging and a casting?
Forgings are manufactured by pressing metal under great pressure into parts that, as a result, have high strength. The metal is typically heated, but not melted, before forging. In the casting process, the metal is melted before going into a mold. The metal poured into the mold solidifies as it cools. The control of the molten metal temperature is critical. Likewise, the quality of the metal being melted must be controlled so that no impurities get into the molten metal. Any gases that are trapped can create porosity as the metal cools. Low casting temperature and impurities, such as sand or slag, can cause imperfections known as cold shots. Metallurgically, a casting has no grain flow or directional strength. A casting can contain many unseen defects. Forgings, on the other hand, have no internal voids that can cause unexpected failures. The grain structure of a forging is oriented to part shape for greater strength. A forging has greater density. In general, forgings are seen as havi
