Cold Forming and Cold Heading Basics

Cold forming is a commonly used technique for rapidly forming metal parts such as screws, bolts and

The Cold Forming Process and a Cold Forming Machine

many other fasteners. Cold forming, also called cold heading, uses force to strike a cold metal slug into a Cold Forming Die to shape parts. The force of the strike causes the metal to form into the desired shape inside the carbide die.

Cold forming begins with cutting the slug, also called a blank. The slugs are cut from a  coil of round wire to the exact size needed. It is important for the volume of the slug to match the volume of the finished product, as the cold forming process doesn't add or remove any material. After the slug has been cut it is then placed into the carbide die (Cold Forming Dies) by “fingers” on a cold forming machine (or header). The slug is pushed into the die with one or more strikes. The final formed product is shaped by a combination of the carbide die and carbide punch. This strike action creates enough force to temporarily cause the metal become a liquid. This process creates a stronger part than if the metal was cut along the grain into the desired shape. A series of dies is often needed to form parts into the desired shape.

Most cold forming machines use one or two strikes to reach final form. After the part is formed an ejector pin is used to remove the product from the die. All of the operations completed by a cold heading machine are done at a rapid pace. Cold heading machines manufacture parts at such a high rate of speed that the process is invisible to the naked eye. Additional tasks can be completed by cold heading machines, such as trimming, piercing and sharpening.

What Materials Can Be Cold Formed?
Carbon steels
Brass
Lead
Stainless steel
Copper
Aerospace Alloys
Alloy steels
Bronze
Precious metals
Aluminum
Nickel Alloys

Obviously, this is a very brief description of cold heading and cold forming. We will continue with more in depth articles in the future.