Hot Forming

Discover the advantages of induction heating!

Hot forming is a process in the manufacture of industrial fasteners such as bolts, screws and rivets. Heat is used to soften the metal which is usually a sheet, bar, tube or wire and then pressure is used to alter the shape of the metal by performing any of the following operations: hot heading, blanking, punching, slotting, perforating, trimming, shearing or bending. Besides, billet heating is also a process best performed with induction hot forming.

Modern induction heating provides many advantages over other heating methods and is commonly used for bonding applications. Heating through induction provides reliable, repeatable, non-contact and energy-efficient heat in a minimal amount of time. Induction heating is also ideal for in-line production processes because of its ability to produce repeatable, rapid and accurate heating cycles.

Ambrell has offered cutting-edge hot forming solutions since 1986. Our engineering expertise in developing hot forming solutions has benefitted many manufacturers across different industries worldwide.

Here are the advantages of hot forming with induction heating:

springback effect is eliminated
ductility is improved
low pressure & minimal residual part stress
better grain flow & microstructure
improved mechanical properties
reduced need for post production tempering & heat treating
improved production rates with minimal defects

Induction heating in hot forming is applied for several different purposes:

Heading - forming a head on blot, screw or rivet

Blanking - cutting a whole piece from sheet metal

Punching - cutting a hole

Slotting - cutting of elongated holes

Perforating - cutting a group of holes

Trimming - cutting away excess metal

Shearing - cutting in straight line across piece

Bending - producing single, double, straight flange, edge hem, curl or double hem bends

In order for the hot forming process to succeed, an application should be tested including the following variables. Ambrell's experienced applications engineers will provide you with the necessary advice and recommendation.

Variable	Cold Form	Warm Form	Hot Form
Temperature	ambient	400-900° F 205 - 480°C	1300-2000° F 705 - 1090°C
Die Pressure	high	lower	lowest
Stress	residual	medium	minimal
Grain Flow	good	better	best
Scaling	none	less	more

About Induction Heating

Induction heating is a fast, efficient, precise and repeatable non-contact method for heating metals or other electrically-conductive materials. The material may be a metal such as brass, aluminum, copper or steel or it can be a semiconductor such as silicon carbide, carbon or graphite. To heat non-conductive materials such as plastics or glass, induction is used to heat an electrically-conductive susceptor, typically graphite, which then transfers the heat to the non-conducting material.

Read our 4-page brochure; learn more about how the science of induction technology can solve your precision heating problems.