Application of
Rapid Infrared Heating
to Aluminum Forgings

Challenges facing the U.S. forging industry include increasing demand for energy efficiency, cost reductions, and pressures of international competition. The rapid increase in energy prices and the growing need for improved energy efficiency, continue to force U.S. forging operations to adopt improved and cost-efficient techniques.

Preheating of the metal billets prior to hot-forging is an area with potential for significant energy savings. In conventional aluminum forging, preheating of billets is typically achieved using convection gas-fired furnaces. However, low rates of heat transfer to the work piece and the need to heat both the furnace structure and the work piece require relatively long cycle times and is thermally inefficient.

Over the past few years, heating techniques using high-speed convection furnaces and induction furnaces having higher heat transfer rates have been developed. These provide only marginal improvements and present some disadvantages. For example, induction furnaces can provide more efficient heating, however, their use is limited by higher equipment costs and the geometry of the metal stock being heated. Induction furnaces often have problems coupling with aluminum alloys and are unsuitable when reheating forgings requiring multiple forge cycles.

Addressing the inadequacies of the existing heating techniques, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, along with industrial and university partners, has developed a new hybrid infrared heating system that permits rapid and uniform heating of aluminum alloy billets prior to forging. The system can also be used for subsequent reheating of forgings requiring additional forging operations.

Rapid Infrared (RI) heating has been proven to reduce the heating times by an order of magnitude, decrease energy consumption by factor of three and produce forgings with enhanced metallurgical and mechanical properties.

Field testing of this hybrid infrared system in full-scale production setup has demonstrated cost savings up to 40-50% through reduced energy consumption, increased throughput and improved consistency in the process and quality of the product.

This technology is exclusively available at Queen City Forging.
U.S. and International Patent Pending





Queen City Forging also uses custom forging: impression die forging, closed die forging, upset forging, drop forging, press forging, and hammer forging to produce metal component parts for original equipment manufacturers (OEM).

Aluminum Forging at Queen City Forging -- article in the Business Courier

These PDF files contain papers that:

1. discuss the principles underlying this new technology

2. provides energy and cost saving comparison between this and the conventional convective heating technique

3. explains the property enhancement in aluminum alloys using rapid heating

Download these PDF files:

• Application of Rapid Infrared Heating to Aluminum Forgings

• Rapid Preheating of Extruded Aluminum Billets for Energy Efficient Production of Forgings

• Supporting Industries Project Fact Sheet on Enhancement of Aluminum Alloy Forging

• Control of Grain Size and Age Hardening in AA2618 Forgings Processed by Rapid Infrared Radiant Heating

• Infrared Heating of Forging Billets and Dies

Forging Industry Technical Conference Presentations:

2004 Power Point Presentation
and PDF Presentation -- Preheating for Forging in IR Furnace

2005 Power Point Presentation, Videos and PDF Presentation -- Solutionization in the IR Furnace

Queen City Forging Company

235-B Tennyson St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45226
(513) 321 - 7200
Fax (513) 321 - 2004
(888) 321-7200

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Queen City Forging Company was established in 1881. Our mission is to achieve excellence in serving customers through production of metal component parts. When the forging process provides desirable or essential attributes, Queen City makes the forging process work.

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