Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages between Aircraft Forgings and Castings

Different materials are used in the manufacturing of aircraft components, including aircraft forgings and castings. The following is a detailed comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of these two processing materials, with examples from actual production.

1. Comparison of Advantages

(1) Advantages of forgings:

① Maintain continuous fibrous structure, increase strength and toughness;

② Remove internal defects such as pores and inclusions;

③ Improve processing hardness and increase fatigue resistance.

(4) Under high temperature stress conditions, the mechanical properties of forgings are stable, and their high-temperature resistance is good.

(2) Advantages of castings:

① Shorter production cycle and lower cost;

② Can produce more complex shapes and structures.

For example, in the manufacture of the aircraft engine front frame transition tube developed at the future Qinhuangdao Aeroengine R&D Center, casting was used for production due to the complex structure and shape requirements.

2. Comparison of Disadvantages

(1) Disadvantages of forgings:

① Low machining accuracy and poor surface quality;

② Longer production cycle and higher cost.

For example, in the machining of aluminum alloy aircraft body shell forgings, a high degree of surface smoothness is required, which requires multiple precision machining operations, and the production cycle is relatively long.

(2) Disadvantages of castings:

① The castings have various defects or inclusions inside and are prone to fatigue, fracture and other problems;

② Defects such as air holes and surface oxidation are easily produced during the casting process;

③ The performance of castings is not stable enough.

For example, in the production of the aircraft engine front frame transition tube, casting may lead to internal defects, which could reduce the safety of the product.

In conclusion, choosing the appropriate processing material is more important according to the specific application scenarios and requirements of the components. Although casting has a relatively low manufacturing cost, the problem of internal defects cannot be ignored. While forging has a longer processing cycle, it also has more stable mechanical properties, which can improve product safety.