What are the main differences between sheet metal formed products and cast and forged products?

The main differences between sheet metal formed products and cast and forged products are their manufacturing process, material shape, quality distribution, material utilization rate, and production cost. ‌

Manufacturing process: Sheet metal forming is achieved by placing a metal sheet in a mold and shaping it through processes such as stamping and bending. This process is usually suitable for large-scale production because it has high production efficiency and is easy to automate.

Material shape: Products formed from sheet metal are usually flat or simple three-dimensional shapes, as they start from metal sheets. In contrast, casting and forging can produce more complex three-dimensional shapes, especially forging, which can produce smaller and more complex three-dimensional parts such as gears, shafts, etc.

Quality distribution: The quality distribution of products formed from sheet metal is relatively uniform because they are directly formed in the mold, reducing the possibility of internal defects. The internal quality of cast products may be affected by factors such as uneven casting wall thickness and different condensation rates, which may result in defects such as porosity and inclusions inside. The internal quality of forged products is relatively uniform because the pressure during the forging process ensures that the metal is fully compacted in all directions.

Material utilization rate: Sheet metal forming usually has a high material utilization rate because stamping and bending operations can directly obtain products that are close to the final shape, reducing subsequent cutting and processing. Casting and forging may require cutting off excess metal to obtain the desired shape, resulting in a relatively low material utilization rate.

Production cost: Sheet metal forming usually has lower production costs due to its efficient production process and advantages of large-scale production. The production cost of casting and forging is relatively high, especially forging, because of its high equipment and process requirements, and relatively low production efficiency.

In summary, there are significant differences between sheet metal formed products and cast and forged products in terms of manufacturing process, material shape, quality distribution, material utilization rate, and production cost.