Upset forging, a process commonly used to produce industrial bolts, typically begins with a raw material diameter that matches that of the bolt shank. The material is heated at one end before being gathered and compressed to form the bolt head or flange, ready for final machining. These blanks, often referred to as ‘Top Hat’ forgings, benefit from grain flow that extends from the shank into the contours of the head, maximising strength and ductility and enhancing resistance to impact and fatigue.

For our client, Brooks Forgings manufactured 1,500 pieces of two different close-net/near-net forgings. Starting with 60mm diameter raw material, we heated and gathered the bar ends to form flanges measuring 130mm in diameter and 30mm thick.

The client reported significant benefits, including a much stronger final component and a considerable reduction in overall costs due to the significantly decreased final machining time and material wastage.

If you have a component in mind that could benefit from this process, please get in touch with our sales team to discuss your requirements in more detail.