Swaging machine is metal forming equipment that uses a series of rapid successions of hammer strikes to form metal. This chip less metal forming process is highly efficient and provides the ability to point tube and rod and also size, reduce, shape, taper or bond. It is commonly used to swage points or reduce ends of cable (also known as wire ropes), recreational ropes course cables, sailing rigging components and various other metallic rods. It can also create flanged or flared ends and also slotted, notched, or flattened sections.
During the swaging process, a rod or tubing is forced into a confining die of specific dimensions. This causes radial blows to the workpiece, which deform and shape it to the size of the die cavity, which in turn reduces the overall diameter. This type of swaging is known as cold forging, and the resulting material has a high tensile strength.
A number of different swaging machines exist, including rotary and stationary machines, which each have their own benefits. Rotary swagers are ideal for creating symmetrical parts because of the constant rotation of their hammer blocks and die halves around the stock. Stationary swagers, on the other hand, can produce more complex shapes because of their fixed position. They can also perform both hot and cold swaging.
In addition to swaging, swagers can also be utilized for end forming and for long length reductions. For end forming, a single piece of tubing is inserted to a specified depth within the swager before it is reduced to the precise size required. This technique allows for secondary operations to be performed like drilling or drawing, and is used when constructing components such as fluid control tubes and aerospace tube components.
Both the swaging and end forming processes are very versatile, which makes them well-suited for applications where a high level of precision is required. The maximum working diameter for rod or tube that can be swaged is 150mm, and part shapes can be round, square, rectangular, or polygon section either parallel or tapered. Holes can also be drilled through the finished product, but this is only possible when a stationary swager is used.
FENN offers a wide variety of swagers, from simple manual machines to fully automated turnkey systems. Each swager can be customized to accommodate the unique needs of a customer’s application, and additional swager components and options are available. These can include sound enclosures, coolant/slushing systems and feeders. The company also carries a complete inventory of replacement hammers, dies and swager wear parts to ensure quick delivery and cost effective maintenance. This helps to reduce downtime and maximize swaging production. In addition, FENN can design and engineer a swaging solution for almost any metal forming application. The swaging machine is an excellent choice for companies looking for an efficient, low-cost way to point, reduce and swage rod or tube. It is also ideal for a range of other metal forming applications, such as flaring, notching, slotting and punching.