Forge welding

Forge welding (FOW) is a solid-state welding process that joins two pieces of metal by heating them to a high temperature and then hammering them together. It may also consist of heating and forcing the metals together with presses or other means, creating enough pressure to cause plastic deformation at the weld surfaces. The process is one of the simplest methods of joining metals and has been used since ancient times. Forge welding is versatile, being able to join a host of similar and dissimilar metals. With the invention of electrical and gas welding methods during the Industrial Revolution, manual forge-welding has been largely replaced, although automated forge-welding is a common manufacturing process.

Forge welding is a process of joining metals by heating them beyond a certain threshold and forcing them together with enough pressure to cause deformation of the weld surfaces, creating a metallic bond between the atoms of the metals. The pressure required varies, depending on the temperature, strength, and hardness of the alloy. Forge welding is the oldest welding technique, and has been used since ancient times.

Welding processes can generally be grouped into two categories: fusion and diffusion welding. Fusion welding involves localized melting of the metals at the weld interfaces, and is common in electric or gas welding techniques. This requires temperatures much higher than the melting point of the metal in order to cause localized melting before the heat can thermally conduct away from the weld, and often a filler metal is used to keep the weld from segregating. Diffusion welding consists of joining the metals without melting them, welding the surfaces together while in the solid state. In diffusion welding, the heat source is often lower than the melting point of the metal, allowing more even heat-distribution thus reducing thermal stresses at the weld. In this method a filler metal is typically not used, but the weld occurs directly between the metals at the weld interface. This includes methods such as cold welding, explosion welding, and forge welding. Unlike other diffusion methods, in forge welding the metals are heated to a high temperature before forcing them together, usually resulting in greater plasticity at the weld surfaces. This generally makes forge welding more versatile than cold-diffusion techniques, which are usually performed on soft metals like copper or aluminum. In forge welding, the entire welding areas are heated evenly. Forge welding can be used for a much wider range of harder metals and alloys, like steel and titanium.

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