Why are most gears forged instead of cast now?

In the past, gears were usually made by casting, but now more and more gears are produced by forging.

1. Forging can provide higher strength and toughness. Gears are subjected to huge pressure and load during operation, so their materials must have sufficient strength and durability. In contrast, gears made by casting usually have internal defects and holes, which reduce the strength and toughness of the gears. The forging process can plastically deform the metal raw materials by heating and hammering, eliminate internal defects, and make the gear materials have higher strength and toughness.

2. Forging can provide higher precision and quality. During the casting process, liquid metal is filled through the mold and cooled and solidified, which may cause uneven shrinkage or deformation of the gear surface. These deformations affect the precision and quality of the gear. In the forging process, by heating and hammering the metal, the metal raw materials can be uniformly plastically deformed, thereby ensuring the precision and quality of the gear.

3. Forging can also save materials and costs. During the casting process, due to the free flow of liquid metal, a certain degree of waste will be generated. The forging process, on the other hand, presses the metal raw material into the desired shape without the need for additional material consumption. In addition, the forging process can also reduce production costs by reducing subsequent processing steps, such as reducing milling, grinding and other operations.

Fourth, the forging process also has the advantage of environmental protection. In the casting process, a large amount of fuel is often required to heat the metal, and a large amount of waste gas and waste slag is generated. The forging process can plastically deform the metal raw material by heating and hammering, and does not require a large amount of fuel, thereby reducing pollution to the environment.

Therefore, the forging process provides higher strength and toughness, higher precision and quality, material and cost savings, and environmental advantages. Therefore, the current forging process will play an increasingly important role in gear manufacturing.