Q U E S T I O N S
What is forging?
Why choose a forged instead of a machined component?
What can be done by forging?
What is the difference between hot and cold forging?
Why are there two processes?
What processes do RSR specialise in?
What is drop forging?
What is RSR's capacity?
Why choose RSR for forged fasteners?

A N S W E R S
Q. What is forging?
A. Forging is the process of shaping malleable metals by hammering or pressing. The process refines the grain size and flow of the metal and so improves its structure. Forged metal is stronger and more ductile than cast metal and exhibits greater resistance to fatigue and impact.
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Q.Why choose a forged instead of a machined component?
A.Forging improves the grain flow of metal and therefore a forged component will always be stronger than a machined one. Machining is inherently destructive to the integrity of the metal.
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Q. What can be done by forging?
A. There are six forging processes:

• Upsetting - decreasing the length and increasing the diameter of the metal
• Swaging or extruding - decreasing the diameter of the metal
• Bending
• Joining two pieces of metal by semifusion
• Punching
• Cutting out

Q. What is the difference between hot and cold forging?
A. Hot forging involves heating the metal to a high temperature to improve its malleability and increase the dynamic grain flow. The temperature required varies with the metal used but is typically in the range of 850^oC to 900^oC. Cold forging relies upon the energy of the pressing process to deform the metal into the desired shape.
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Q. Why are there two processes?
A. Cold forging is appropriate when there is only a small amount of metal to be moved. To use the manufacture of bolts as an example, cold forging is suitable to make a head on a bar up to 24mm diameter. It is very difficult to cold forge a bar in excess of 30mm diameter. The only limit to the diameter of metal bar that can be hot forged is the capacity of the press machines.
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Q. What processes do RSR specialise in?
A. RSR (Forgings) can undertake all types of forging. However, our particular skill is the upset hot forging of metal bar. This is particularly suitable for the manufacture of bolts and other fasteners as rolled bar of the required shaft diameter is used as the basic pin. We create the bolt head using a drop forging technique to deform one end of the bar. This uses heavy presses (up to one thousand tons) to ensure the optimum metallic structure throughout the forged component.
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Q. What is drop forging?
A. During the drop forging process the heated metal is compressed between two dies. One die is static and the other is dropped with the impact hammer of the press. Almost any desired head style can be created in this manner.
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Q. What is RSR's capacity?
A. We can forge bar up to 102 millimeter in diameter. Because we use horizontal as well as vertical presses there is no limit to the length of the components we can forge.

We forge all grades of metal from mild steel to ultra high-grade stainless steel as well as many alloys.
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Q. Why choose RSR for forged fasteners?
A. At RSR we undertake the complete process in house. We manufacture our dies and are therefore able to respond to customer requirements days ahead of our competitors. This control of process extends through the production cycle to our heat treatment plant that ensures the correct tensile strength of the finished components.

However technical the forging process becomes, it still requires a high level of human skill to produce consistent production. RSR have been producing high quality forgings for over twenty-five years. Our combined experience runs to hundreds of man-years and we have an on-going policy of continuous training to update and hand on these skills.

We have uniquely flexible production processes so there is no lower limit to the batch quantities we can produce and virtually no set up time. This enables us to offer exceptional value to our customers.
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