Swaging is a metal forming process that utilizes compressive forces to deform and manipulate a workpiece’s shape. This can be done through either a rotary or stationary die.
Rotary swaging machine have two or four split dies that separate and close up to 2,000 times per minute. The dies are mounted into a spindle that’s inside a cage containing rollers (looks like a bearing). This type of swaging machine is used to reduce diameter, produce a taper, or add a point to round workpieces.
Benefits
Swaging is a chip less metal forming technique that can point, size, reduce, taper, bond and form rod or tube. The process can be performed hot or cold and allows for a variety of different cross-section shapes to be formed, including internal, external, dual varieties and combination swaging.
Many of the items that we use or see in our daily lives have undergone swaging at some point, from the military (gun barrels and anti-tank rocket tips) to automotive (lock bolts and decorative metal items). The medical industry uses swaging for hypodermic tubing and catheter band assemblies, while renewable energy relies on rotary swagers to form cartridge heaters and superconducting material.
Aerospace is another major user of swaging, using it for fluid transfer tubing and control rods. This is because swaging provides a secure grip on hose fittings and can lower the risk of bacteria accumulation at the end of tubing or hoses, while also providing strong mechanical adhesiveness that helps to reduce turbulence.
Advantages
Swaging is a metal forming technique that reduces rod, wire and tube through a rapid succession of hammer strikes using dies. It is a cost-effective way to point tubing, form or reduce the diameter of a rod, create long tapered sections or splines and bond or shape metal parts. This chipless method of metal forming allows for high finish and eliminates the need for secondary operations saving time and money.
It is also easy to operate a swaging machine, making it an excellent choice for companies with limited resources or experience. This makes it an ideal tool for pointing, reducing and shaping wire rope slings.
In addition to swaging slings, this type of machine is often used in the military, automotive and medical industries. For example, it can be used to make MS-spec fittings for the pointing of missiles and tanks, as well as for forming control rods in aircraft. It can also be used to make hypodermic needles and catheter bands.
Types
Swaging machines are designed to transform rod, tube and wire into a variety of shapes. The process works by hammering the stock with constant pressure in various directions. It creates a ridge, groove or mold in the metal that gives it a new shape. It can also alter the diameter of rods and hoses.
A swaging machine can also flare or bell the ends of tubes to form them into the required profile. It can also swage internal profiles using a mandrel that is forced into the hollow stock. This is typically done to reduce the overall diameter of tube parts like control rods, fluid transfer tubing and wire rope cable assemblies.
The swaging machine type is determined by the number of dies it uses to swage the workpiece. It can be a rotary swager with two or four dies that rotate around the workpiece and strike it in a rapid sequence. Other swagers are stationary and a series of forming dies, backed by hammer blocks, is inserted around the workpiece to produce the desired effect.
Applications
Swaging is a metal forming technique used to produce different shapes of parts and components. This is done by placing a rod or a tube into a confining die and then hitting it repeatedly with hammers to make it take the shape of the die cavity.
This process allows for greater control of wall thickness compared to other forming techniques, such as cold hammering. It can also form a variety of internal shapes inside the tube using shaped mandrels. Tube swaging can be done at room temperature and at elevated temperatures.
The three major types of swaging are end forming, reduction swaging and long-die swaging. This process is ideal for manufacturing a variety of products in industries like logging, military and renewable energy. It is also used to attach fittings to recreational ropes course cables and sailing riggings. Other uses include producing cartridge heaters for the logging industry and hypodermic tubing. Long-die swaging can be used to create products with long, shallow tapers that cannot be produced on standard rotary swager machines.
