In the automotive, aviation, machinery and other fields, the commonly used materials include not only steel, but also aluminum alloy. Although steel forgings and aluminum alloy forgings are manufactured by forging process, there are some differences between them. This article will compare them from the following three aspects.
First, material characteristics
Steel forgings are composed of iron, carbon and other elements, which have high toughness, ductility and strength, and can increase their hardness after heat treatment. This makes steel forgings widely used in industrial applications where strength and durability are required.
The aluminum alloy forgings are mostly composed of aluminum, copper, magnesium and other elements, which have relatively light weight, good corrosion resistance and conductive properties. Parts made of aluminum alloy forgings can reduce weight without too much sacrifice of strength and durability, so they are widely used in aviation, automobiles, high-speed rail and other fields.
Second, the production process
In the traditional forging process, the production cost of steel forgings is relatively high, and more equipment, resources and time are needed. Most steel parts need to be heat treated after forging to improve the properties of the steel, and the processing time and cost are higher. Steel forgings also need to optimize the formulation and production technology to ensure that they have good weldability while meeting the strength and durability.
In contrast, the production cost of aluminum alloy forgings is relatively low. The characteristics of aluminum determine that it is easy to process into various shapes, and the price of commonly used raw materials is relatively low. The hardness, ductility and other properties of the aluminum alloy material itself are directly completed in production. When aluminum alloy materials are used to produce auto parts, the complex structure of the parts can also be manufactured by air pressure and water pressure to achieve higher accuracy.
- Scope of application
Because of its strength, durability and corrosion resistance, steel forgings are widely used in automotive, rail transit, shipbuilding, heavy machinery and other fields, such as wheels, frames, engine supports, drive shafts, crankshafts and so on.
Aluminum alloy forgings are mainly used in high-end manufacturing industries such as aviation and automobiles, such as aircraft internal structure, wing panels, engine shells, car bodies and engines. In addition, a large number of aluminum alloy components are also used in household appliances, office equipment and electronic products.
In summary, although steel forgings and aluminum alloy forgings are manufactured by forging process, there are obvious differences between them in material characteristics, production process and application range. We can choose a suitable material in the actual demand to achieve better results and cost performance.
