Forging is a
manufacturing process involving the shaping of
metal using localized
compressive forces. The blows are delivered with a
hammer (often a
power hammer) or a
die. Forging is often classified according to the temperature at which it is performed: cold forging (a type of
cold working), warm forging, or hot forging (a type of
hot working). For the latter two, the metal is
heated, usually in a
forge. Forged parts can range in weight from less than a kilogram to hundreds of metric tons. Forging has been done by
smiths for millennia; the traditional products were
kitchenware,
hardware,
hand tools,
edged weapons, and
jewellery. Since the
Industrial Revolution, forged parts are widely used in
mechanisms and
machines wherever a component requires high
strength; such
forgings usually require further processing (such as
machining) to achieve a finished part. Today, forging is a major worldwide industry.