The use of lightweight metals, including Aluminium alloy is becoming increasingly popular in the forging process. Forged Aluminium alloy is used frequently in a wide range of applications across several different industries. Forged Aluminium is much more reliable than Aluminium casting, especially where strength is a priority. A lightweight, high-strength part can often be created from forged Aluminium alloy at a reasonably low price. Therefore, more and more companies are replacing original parts of their operations with parts made from forged Aluminium alloy.
Strength
The greatest advantage of forged Aluminium alloy is strength. When heat treated and forged, Aluminium exhibits mechanical properties that are comparable to steel. The strength-to-weight ratio becomes far superior. Unlike Aluminium casting, Aluminium forging is porosity free. This makes the heat-treating process relatively straightforward, significantly improving the mechanical characteristics.
Because the forged Aluminium alloy is able to maintain its lightweight properties as it obtains greater strength, it is often favored over steel forging or Aluminium casting. For this reason, Aluminium forging provides the optimum grain structure to meet the needs of most applications.
Surface Finish
Another great advantage of forged Aluminium alloy is the surface finish. With forging, a wide variety of surface finishes can be created. Whether your application requires relatively sharp serrations or a smooth surface, you are likely to get exactly what you need with forged Aluminium alloy. This makes further surface finishing possible or can be used as a functional attribute of the design of the part produced.
