Whereas this is one of the questions that anyone interested in forging aluminum asks themselves, it may not have the same answer. There are many factors surrounding the issue of temperature, and this is why a lot of people get it wrong.
When hot forging aluminum, there are so many factors that come into play that will make the forging temperatures vary. There is pure aluminum metal which has a forging temperature of about 300°C to 480°C. This is the crystallization temperature the pure aluminum, considering that it melts at 660.3°C.
However, it is important to note that pure aluminum material is rarely used in industrial work. The metal is improved using the other metals to form the alloys, which offer different properties that match various conditions.
There are tens of aluminum alloys, and all have different forging temperatures, with some being lower than even the pure and while others require +1000°C to forge. Therefore, the issue of the aluminum forging temperature can only be determined by many other factors, including the type of forging.
Other Factors That Determine Aluminum Forging Temperature
Apart from the types of alloys, aluminum forging temperature may also be determined by many other factors, and one of them is the forging setup. The type of machinery and the equipment used for the forging can determine how hot the aluminum billet will be.
If the punching machine or the hydraulic press that is forging is big enough to deliver a huge pressing force, the aluminum material may not need a lot of force to forge. Therefore, the heating will be just at the point of crystallization.
However, where the punching has smaller punching power, the aluminum forging temperature might be higher to ensure the billet has reached better plasticity. Therefore, there are other factors that will also determine the aluminum forging temperature.
The bottom line is that when you are planning to start forging aluminum, the issue of the temperature is crucial. Otherwise, the quality of the forging will be terrible. Click here for more about the forging of aluminum and forged products.