Forged Steel vs. Steel Plate Material: Which is Better?
As always, it depends on what you are doing with the steel, but for the most part, forged steel is superior to plate steel in many ways.
What Are Steel Plate Material Components?
Steel plate compresses steel sheet material to form a steel plate. These plates can then be cut and welded into more complex shapes. Some of the uses of steel plate include:
- Superstructure frameworks for buildings and high-rises
- Bridge supports
- Building foundations
- Heavy equipment such as bulldozers
- Repairs and reinforcement
What Are Steel Forged Components?
Forged components are parts made of steel that has been heated and hammered into specific shapes which realign the metal grains so that the metal becomes much stronger, harder, and more wear-resistant than its steel plate material counterparts. Some of the other reasons forged components are better than fabricated steel plate include:
Material Strength
When using plate steel, you need to machine the steel to shape it or cut it down to size. This slices through the steel’s grain structure, making it weaker and more susceptible to corrosion and wear. Forging the steel orients the grain structure to the part shape, making it extremely strong.
Use of Materials
Using steel plate typically requires that you flame cut the plate to make the parts you need. Once you have cut the steel plate to size, you usually need to machine the plate further to make it suitable for delivery to the customer. This wastes a lot of material.
Finishing Options
Steel plate material typically requires additional finishing such as grinding, polishing, or turning to remove imperfections and irregularities in the finished part. Forgings don’t need this type of work and can be put to use immediately.
Sizing
Forgings are available in a wide range of grades and sizes. This allows them to produce forged parts as small as 1 inch to parts that weigh up to 225 tons. However, components constructed of machined steel plate and steel bar are limited to the sizes that they are supplied in.
Forged Components Is One of the Premier Custom Forging Manufacturers in the World
Forged Components manufactures custom forgings for use across the spectrum of the energy production process. From oil exploration to petrochemical production and delivery, FCI manufactures various forged components used in all of these processes. We complete all manufacturing processes in-house so that we have maximum flexibility and efficiency when filling your order. For more information, call us at (281) 441-4088 or contact us online to get a quote from our sales staff.