Open Die Forging
B.B. Price has been a reputable brand in British industry for more than a century, offering metal forging that is innovative, honest, and of high quality. Open Die Forging is one of our primary competencies, demonstrating our dedication to creating components that are more robust, durable, and long-lasting.
Our open die forging services combine traditional expertise with cutting-edge technology to satisfy the most exacting technical standards, from large-scale industrial shafts to high-performance components for energy, rail, and infrastructure projects.
Open die forging, also known as free forging, is a metal forming method that involves shaping a heated billet between flat or curved dies that do not entirely enclose the workpiece. The metal is progressively distorted and polished into the required shape by a succession of exact hammer blows or press strokes.
Open die forging offers unparalleled versatility in contrast to closed die forging, which employs specially designed cavities. This makes it perfect for big, straightforward, or unique components that need exceptional internal strength and dependability.
Our proficiency in open die forging at B.B. Price enables us to provide custom forged goods that are made to your exact requirements while preserving outstanding mechanical performance and quality.
Open Die Forging Process
Every forged component produced by B.B. Price undergoes a meticulous and controlled process to guarantee strength, consistency, and durability.
- Heating the Material
We begin by heating the metal billet to forging temperature, typically between 1,200°C and 1,250°C, to ensure the right balance of plasticity and structural integrity. - Forging and Shaping
Using our advanced forging presses and hammers, the hot metal is shaped between open dies under immense pressure. Skilled operators manipulate and rotate the workpiece between blows to achieve a uniform, fine-grained structure. - Cooling and Heat Treatment
Once forged, each piece is cooled in a controlled environment, then subjected to specialised heat treatments, such as normalising, quenching, or tempering, to enhance mechanical properties and stability. - Machining and Finishing
Our in-house machining and testing facilities allow us to deliver components to tight dimensional tolerances, ensuring every part is fit for purpose and ready for installation.
Why Choose Open Die Forging?
Open die forging offers distinct advantages over other metalworking methods, especially for large or safety-critical components.
1. Superior Strength and Durability
The forging process aligns the grain flow of the metal with the geometry of the part, dramatically improving fatigue resistance, impact toughness, and overall structural integrity. This makes open die forgings ideal for components exposed to high stress or extreme conditions.
2. Exceptional Material Integrity
Because the process compresses the metal from multiple angles, it eliminates internal voids and porosity that are common in cast materials, ensuring dense, defect-free parts.
3. Flexibility and Customisation
Open die forging can produce components of varying sizes, from a few kilograms to several tonnes, with a wide range of shapes such as shafts, rings, discs, and bars. The process is also well-suited to custom, one-off projects or small production runs.
4. Cost-Effective for Low Volumes
Unlike closed die forging, open die methods require minimal tooling, making it a cost-effective solution for bespoke or short-run orders without compromising quality.
Applications of open die forging
At B.B. Price, our open die forged products support some of the most demanding sectors in the UK and beyond:
- Energy & Power Generation: Turbine shafts, rotors, and couplings
- Oil & Gas: Drill collars, pressure vessel parts, and heavy-duty flanges
- Rail & Infrastructure: Support bars, anchor rods, and fastener systems
- Marine & Offshore: Propeller shafts and drive components
- Heavy Engineering: Gears, rollers, and spindles
Each product is engineered to deliver maximum performance and longevity, even under the harshest operating conditions.
Materials We Forge through open die forging
We work with a wide range of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, ensuring that each forging meets your exact strength and durability requirements. Typical materials include:
- Carbon steels
- Alloy steels
- Stainless steels
- Nickel and titanium alloys
- Aluminium alloys
Our metallurgical expertise allows us to control every aspect of the forging process, from raw material selection to post-forge testing, ensuring consistent quality and compliance with ISO and industry standards.
Why choose b.b price for open die forging
Founded in 1875, B.B. Price has built a reputation for excellence in British engineering and forging. With generations of experience, we blend traditional forging techniques with modern precision equipment to produce components of unmatched quality.
Our open die forging facilities include advanced hydraulic presses, manipulators, and heat treatment systems, allowing us to handle both large-scale industrial forgings and specialised custom projects. Every component is backed by comprehensive quality assurance, including non-destructive testing, dimensional verification, and material certification.
When you partner with B.B. Price, you’re working with a company that values craftsmanship, reliability, and performance, the same values that have defined our name for over 140 years.
Contact us
Contact us here at B.B. Price for all of your forging needs. We understand how important it is to get your forged parts to you on time, and we will endeavor to meet any deadlines you may have, keeping you updated throughout the process. Call us today on 01384 413341. Or if you would prefer complete our online contact form and one of our team will get back in touch with you.
B.B. Price, you trusted open die forging experts near me, offer this and other forging services across the UK, including in Halesowen, Birmingham & surrounding areas.