Amid increasingly fierce competition in the global manufacturing industry, companies are pursuing not only high quality and low costs but also flexible, responsive supply chains that can adapt quickly. Demand for high-precision, high-strength, and highly consistent metal parts continues to grow, particularly in industries such as automotive, construction machinery, energy equipment, and rail transit.

Die Manufacturing

To address this trend, HULK Metal offers a one-stop solution encompassing die manufacturing, forging, and precision machining. This integrated manufacturing approach ensures seamless integration between all steps, significantly shortening production cycles, reducing costs, and improving part reliability. Furthermore, customers can obtain high-quality, traceable parts from a single supplier, giving them a competitive advantage in the market.

Design Principles

The design of forging dies should adhere to the principles of good performance, excellent processing properties, and reasonable economic performance. Furthermore, it is important to be familiar with the process characteristics of metal forming during forging and to understand the basic structure and operating performance of various forging equipment. Based on practical conditions, dies should be designed to ensure excellent formability, a reasonable service life, and ease of installation, commissioning, and maintenance.

To achieve the above goals, forging die design generally considers the following:

Forging Batch

Forgings produced in small batches, simple die structures should be used as much as possible. This reduces die life and reduces costs. For forgings produced in medium to large batches, the die structure should incorporate multiple steps, including blanking, pre-forging, and final forging. Die materials should be carefully chosen to ensure a long die life, but this will also result in higher costs.

Forging Material

The forming steps and deformation rates should be determined based on the material's deformability to ensure the quality of the final forging.

Forging Shape

Forgings with complex shapes must utilize a multi-cavity distributed deformation method to reduce die load, lower press tonnage, and avoid forging defects.

Forging Equipment

Primarily, the forging hammer, as well as various presses, requires different die structures and materials.

Design Process

Customized Die Design

HULK Metal has an experienced die engineering team that utilizes CAD, CAE, and CAM software for simulation, optimization, and verification. By analyzing part structure, material properties, and operating environment, our team is able to design a mold solution that optimizes material flow, distributes forces evenly, and minimizes defects. During the forging process, molds must not only withstand high temperatures and high pressures but also maintain long-term shape and dimensional stability, making the design process crucial.

Forging molds can be categorized as open or closed:

Open molds are suitable for flexible forging of single parts or small batches, allowing for quick adjustments based on production needs.

Closed molds are ideal for mass production of small and medium-sized parts, achieving near-net-shape shapes, reducing subsequent machining allowances, and improving production efficiency.

Through customized mold design, HULK Metal improves part yield while effectively mitigating production risks.

Material Selection and Heat Treatment

The properties of mold materials directly impact the quality of forged parts and mold life. HULK Metal selects high-toughness, high-wear-resistant steel and combines processes such as vacuum heat treatment, case hardening, nitriding, and quenching to enhance the mold's wear resistance and deformation resistance.

When forging high-strength steel or alloy materials, molds must withstand high temperatures and pressures. Inadequate mold material properties can easily lead to deformation, cracking, or shortened mold life. HULK Metal uses scientific material selection and precision heat treatment to ensure molds maintain dimensional stability under continuous, high-intensity use, thereby reducing part scrap rates and extending mold life.

High-Precision Machining and Rigorous Inspection

HULK Metal utilizes advanced CNC milling, wire-cut cutting, precision grinding, and EDM technologies to manufacture molds with complex geometries and maintain tight tolerances.

Each mold is inspected using a coordinate measuring machine (CMM), laser scanning, and other non-contact inspection methods to ensure geometric accuracy and surface quality meet forging requirements.

High-precision machining not only ensures dimensional accuracy after forging, but also reduces subsequent machining allowances, improving overall production efficiency. Through precision mold manufacturing, HULK Metal achieves consistent and repeatable forgings while reducing material waste and rework costs, providing customers with efficient and reliable production solutions.

Forging: A Core Step in Improving Material Properties

Die forging is primarily divided into two methods: open die forging and closed die forging. Choosing the appropriate forging method requires careful consideration based on part size, shape complexity, material properties, and production volume.

Open-die forging

Open-die forging is a process that deforms metal by hammering or pressing it between flat or simple-contour dies, while simultaneously moving the blank between each stroke to control the shape. Because the metal flows freely in all directions at the point of force, unconstrained by the die cavity, it is called "open die forging," distinguishing it from "closed die forging."

This process is typically used for large or bulky forgings, but it can also be applied to smaller parts. However, open die forging is not the best choice for high-volume production due to its low efficiency and limited process consistency. The advantages of open die forging include low tooling costs, process flexibility, and short lead times. It is also suitable for single-piece customization and specialized parts. The disadvantage is limited precision, often requiring subsequent machining to achieve the desired dimensions and surface quality.

Advantages of open-die forging:

Lower die investment costs

Flexible process adjustments and short production setup time

Disadvantages of open-die forging:

Limited precision, unsuitable for parts with high requirements

Requires additional machining to complete designed features

Closed-die forging

Closed-die forging, also known as die forging, involves placing a metal billet in a pre-formed die cavity and forcing the metal through the die to fill specific areas and form the part. During the forming process, excess material squeezes out of the die gap, forming a feature called "flash." While flash increases material waste, it plays an important role in controlling die cavity pressure and preventing premature die failure. By optimizing flash design, engineers can ensure uniform metal flow and complete die cavity filling, thereby improving part strength and die life.

Flash trimming is crucial in production, affecting not only the final dimensions of the part but also its surface quality and geometric accuracy. Closed-die forging is suitable for the mass production of small and medium-sized parts, achieving higher dimensional accuracy and complex shapes while reducing subsequent machining.

Advantages of Closed-die Forging:

Higher part strength and excellent structural properties

Reduced subsequent machining requirements

Cost-effective mass production

Ability to achieve tighter dimensional tolerances and complex shapes

Disadvantages of Closed-die Forging:

High die manufacturing costs

High equipment and production setup costs.

Combining Hot and Cold Forging

HULK Metal also combines hot and cold forging processes. Hot forging is suitable for high-strength, complex parts, enhancing material properties; cold forging achieves higher surface finish and dimensional accuracy. This combination not only optimizes part performance but also effectively controls production costs.

Machining: A Guarantee of Precision and Efficiency

After forging, parts typically require further machining to achieve designed dimensions, accuracy, and surface quality. HULK Metal's CNC machining capabilities ensure a balance between part accuracy and production efficiency.

Comprehensive Machining Capabilities

The company is equipped with five-axis CNC machining centers, turning centers, milling machines, and grinding machines, capable of performing a variety of machining operations, including turning, milling, drilling, tapping, and grinding, ensuring a seamless transition from forged blanks to finished products.

Tight Tolerance Control

Using advanced process planning and real-time monitoring, HULK Metal can control part dimensions to within ±0.01 mm. This high precision ensures the reliability of critical parts in industries such as automotive, construction, and heavy machinery.

Surface Treatment and Secondary Processing

HULK Metal offers a variety of surface treatment options to enhance part corrosion and wear resistance, including:

Heat Treatment (Quenching and Tempering)

Electroplating, Galvanizing, and Anodizing

Environmentally Friendly Painting or Powder Coating

Flexible Production Capabilities

From small-batch prototyping to large-scale production, HULK Metal can quickly adjust its production processes to ensure efficient and timely delivery.

Quality Control and Inspection

HULK Metal implements a rigorous quality management system at every stage to ensure that molds, forgings, and machined parts meet high standards.

International Certifications: ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO45001, etc.

Testing Equipment: CMM, metallographic microscope, hardness tester, ultrasonic and magnetic particle testing

Material Traceability: Each batch of raw materials is accompanied by an analysis report, allowing traceability back to the supplier.

Process Monitoring: Fully monitoring from design to finished product ensures consistent, defect-free parts.

This comprehensive quality management system ensures that customers receive reliable, high-performance parts that meet the most demanding application requirements.

Advantages of HULK Metal's One-Stop Solution

Compared to the traditional multi-supplier model, HULK Metal's one-stop service offers significant advantages:

Reduced communication costs: Customers no longer need to coordinate with moldmakers, forgers, and fabricators separately.

Shorter lead times: Integrated processes reduce cross-factory logistics and enable faster delivery.

Cost efficiency: Optimizes material usage, labor, and processes, reducing overall costs.

Consistent quality: A unified management system ensures consistent standards across all aspects of a part.

Customization flexibility: Rapid adjustments are possible from prototyping to mass production.

These advantages allow customers to focus on product development while outsourcing the complex manufacturing process to a reliable partner.

Cross-Industry Applications

HULK Metal's one-stop manufacturing solutions meet the needs of multiple industries:

Automotive and Rail Transit: Crankshafts, Connecting Rods, Axles, and Braking System Components

Construction Machinery: Excavator Arms, Track Links, and Hydraulic Components

Energy Equipment: Wind Turbine Shafts, Oil Drill Collars, and Valve Bodies

Marine and Offshore Engineering: Ship Forgings, Deck Machinery, and Propulsion System Components

Agricultural Machinery: Harvester Blades and Tractor Connecting Rods

Custom Parts: Rapidly develop and produce specialized parts based on customer drawings or prototypes.

HULK Metal efficiently processes both standard and highly specialized parts, ensuring quality and delivery efficiency.

HULK Metal continues to invest in digitalization and smart manufacturing, integrating IoT monitoring, process simulation, and predictive maintenance to further improve efficiency and product quality. The company's vision is to become a trusted global manufacturing partner, providing customers with innovative, reliable, and cost-effective metal forging solutions.

By integrating mold manufacturing, forging, and machining, HULK Metal provides a one-stop solution for modern manufacturing that is traceable, efficient, and quality-controlled, offering a solid foundation for customers to meet industry challenges.