Markets & Products

See you at
CastForge 2024!

A new awesome result obtained thanks to the collaboration and synergy between FOC, De Pretto Industrie and our customer Hitachi Rail. More than a hundred parts for railways application, used as connector between wagons, made in UNI EN 10083-1 42CrMo4 steel, closed die forged, heat treated and sandblasted at FOC. De Pretto Industrie managed all following operations to supply the parts in fully machined condition. We are very excited about this achievement and the partnership we are developing with Hitachi Rail. One more important step reached by Linkey line! Your ideal partner for turnkey solutions.

Forged big discs are one of FOC sweet spots. They can be employed in several industries as power transmission, heavy duty application, petrochemical industries and more. Here the result of an interesting collaboration with MAN Energy Solutions. Items in 31CrMoV9 Q+T steel reaching an overall weight of 20 tons each, supplied with rough machining.

FOC Ciscato is going on holiday soon! Our offices will be closed from August 16th to August 20th. We will be back on Monday 23rd. Happy holidays!

After many years of successful partnership De Pretto Industrie and FOC Ciscato achieved another important milestone. We are proud to present you LINKEY LINE, a new real brand of turnkey products: the right solution to the most challenging customer requirements. High-level metallurgical know-how + welding and machining skills, all in one stop shop. Contact our team to discover more about this innovative service and do not forget to follow us on LinkedIn to keep update about our news!

In modern society, forgings are involved in various industries for construction machines, agricultural machinery, automotive, oilfield equipments, ect. At FOC we use two different processes for metal forging: - open die are made without any dies, the ingot is moved by a big manipulator through the forging press - closed die parts are forged using a die/mold where the pieces of billets are forged through; The advantages of forging in closed die is obtaining a forged piece with the nearest profile to final product. This can reduce the machining costs and allow to obtain a great product from a quality point of view. A mold is needed but the costs are usually splitted in the large volumes of pieces required for the project (from 50 to 100 and more). Figure 1 What Is Closed Die Forging? Closed die forging is a forging process that involves two or more dies that contain a precut profile of the desired component. The heated raw material is placed at the bottom of the die. The dies then move towards each other until the raw material is formed into its required shape and size. See picture 1-2-3. Figure 2
Figure 3 When Is It used? Most metals and alloys can be forged through the closed die process. Closed die forgings of stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, and other alloys can produce an unlimited variety of 3-D shapes in a wide range of weights and sizes. As a result, this is one of the best processes for complex shapes that require elaborate designs. Software simulation of forging in closed die. All the critical aspects including deformations, temperatures and production time are simulated by a dedicated software before starting production in order to know and evaluate them in advance. In the 3D rendering (Fig.4) an example of modeling and how the forgings are deformed from billet through final shape. Figure 4 Quality. Forged closed die products are much better than open die from the quality point of view: • Reduced or no machining; • Cost –effectiveness for large production series; • Better surface finish and superior mechanical properties; • Dimensions with tighter tolerances; • Shape precision increasing to obtain the most various designs; The picture below shows the fibers orientation of the steel that confirm the best quality of a closed die product. Figure 5 Which steels can be used? Depending on applications, the materials used go from low carbon steel up to Inconel 625 material. Typical material used are billets or forged bars that are cutted to the expected size and weight before putting them through the die. Which Are Its Applications? Closed die forging process is used for applications that require high quality components and high volumes/batches. People turn to closed die forgings when their project requires strength, reliability, and resistance to fadigue. Because of this, closed die forging is an appealing manufacturing for numerous industries. Some specific parts that are formed by this type of forging can be found throughout the Oil Gas, aerospace, power transmission, power generation and defense industries. Figure 6 At FOC we have deep experience in closed die forgings and we always involve our customers in this business in order to provide them the best solutions to their needs.