Where to sell cold forging elements. Development of a business related to metal forging

Admiring the beauty of an openwork metal fence or admiring the incredible twisted pattern on the railing of an iron staircase, few people think that they were made using the cold forging method. You can learn to embody beauty in metal without much effort. To do this, it is enough to have minimal skills in working with metal and have special machines for cold forging.
What is cold forging? What machines are needed for it? What can be made on these machines? You will find answers to these questions in our article.

It would be more correct to call cold forging - mechanical bending of a metal rod on specialized machines to give it the shape intended by the manufacturer. Bending rods in the machine can be done either manually using levers or using electric motors. In addition to metal rods, cold forging can be used to bend small-diameter pipes, narrow iron strips and fittings. Using the cold forging method the following are produced:

• Twisted fences.
• Decorations for residential buildings.
• Patterned gate.
• Railings for balconies and stairs.
• Metal garden benches.
• Decorations for gazebos and lanterns.
• A large number of grating options.

Elements made by cold forging
Having mastered the cold forging method, you can easily start your own business producing metal products. At the same time, you will only need initial financial investments for the purchase of machines, and if you make the machines yourself, you can get by with minimal costs.

Below we will give you instructions on how to assemble cold forging machines yourself.

Machine "snail"

Making a snail machine is one example of independent design, and it makes no sense to give advice with an exact indication of the dimensions of all parts. You need to be guided by your idea of ​​​​the operation of the machine, how and what will bend, how many turns of the spiral will be enough for high-quality work, what size the lever with the tabletop will be. If you understand the essence of the machine manufacturing process, then the assembly itself will not cause any particular difficulties.

Machine “snail”

Manufacturing of main machine components

Frame.

The process of bending an iron rod exposes the machine to heavy loads, so when making the frame for the “snail”, only a metal corner, channel or thick-walled pipe is used. Do not make a frame from wooden beams; such a table cannot withstand prolonged loads and collapses.

Tabletop.

The tabletop for the “snail” is made of a metal plate cut in the shape of a circle, at least 4 mm thick. From the same slab, a second tabletop is cut out, repeating the shape of the first. The snail segments will be placed on the second tabletop and the products will be bent. During the cold forging process, the tabletop takes on the bulk of the load, so there is no need to save money and make it from a thinner sheet of iron.

Main shaft and lever.

The main shaft is placed centrally between the tabletops and is attached to the base using four right triangles. The shaft can be made from a thick-walled pipe of the required diameter.
The lever is attached to the shaft using a ring and rotates around it; in addition, a roller is installed on the lever for bending the rods on the upper tabletop.

Machine diagram

Marking and installation of attachments

Depending on whether you want to produce only the same type of samples or you need more artistic products, there are three options for the snail device.
Option #1.
This is the simplest of the three options; its essence is that the outline of a spiral is drawn on the tabletop.

Drawing of the snail segments
At its core, this is a drawing of future products that you will produce on the machine. After applying the diagram, it is enough to cut out several segments from thick strips of iron of different widths that follow the line of the drawing and weld them to the tabletop according to the markings. With such a static “snail” you can make simple bends.
Option #2.
The second option is the most popular among homemade machines; it involves making a collapsible snail from removable parts. Holes are drilled along the contours of the markings into which threads are cut. Next, templates for the stop segments are made from cardboard or plywood and metal overlays are made from them. Finally, holes are drilled in the pads, which should coincide with the mounting sockets on the tabletop. To secure the segments, bolts are mainly used, but you can also make cylindrical stops. This “snail” design will allow the production of spiral-shaped workpieces with different radii on one machine.

“Snail” made of metal strips
Option #3.
In the third option, instead of collapsible stop segments, several removable modules are made with different volute options, which change as needed. The module is made of a piece of iron onto which segments repeating parts of the spiral are welded.

Snail modules
Machine assembly.

1. Install the frame in a place where you will have easy access to the machine from all sides.
2. Concrete the legs of the frame in the floor or secure the frame in another accessible way.
3. Weld the main table top to the frame.
4. Install the main shaft by welding it to the tabletop and strengthening it with triangles.
5. Place the rotating lever onto the shaft.
6. Install the top tabletop by welding it to the main shaft.
7. Place the snail segments on the tabletop.

After assembly, test bend the rod.
To learn more about assembling a snail cold forging machine, watch the video:

Torsion bar machine

This machine is designed for uniaxial longitudinal twisting of a workpiece from a transverse or square rod.

Torsion bar machine
A channel or I-beam is used for the base of the torsion bar machine. A thick iron strip is attached to it by welding, onto which a vice is installed to clamp the stationary part of the rod. The vice is secured with four bolts with a diameter of M16 or more. To increase the clamping strength of the bar, corrugated sheet steel plates are welded onto the vice. On the opposite side of the base, guide rollers are installed, to which a clamping unit for the movable part of the workpiece is attached. It is made of a steel bushing, in which it is necessary to provide holes for clamping bolts located at an angle of 120 degrees. The bolts must have a flat end and be made of high quality steel. Both clamping devices must be positioned coaxially; to do this, they must be checked using a level, a plumber's square and a caliper.

Types of machines
Next, you need to make a handle for turning the moving part of the clamp. Its lever should hit as long as possible to reduce the applied force. It is better to make the handle itself with a rubber bushing to prevent the hand from slipping during operation.
After the machine is fully assembled, it is checked for the reliability of the moving elements and the accuracy of the deformation of the bar. After checking, the machine is attached to the support frame.

A simple model of a torsion bar machine
How to make a torsion bar machine with your own hands, watch the video:

Machine "gnitik"

To qualitatively form a corner in a product produced by cold forging, you will need a machine called a “bend”. It consists of a steel plate with a movable stop on which there are two support shafts and a lever.

Machine “gnutik”
The workpiece is placed between the wedge and the support shafts. After this, with the help of a lever, the wedge is shifted towards the shafts, which leads to bending of the workpiece.

Computer model of the machine
Making such a machine is quite simple, the main thing is to follow the given drawing and use tool steel, since during operation a large load is placed on part of the device.
You can also watch how to make a “gnitik” machine in the video:

Wave machine

It would be more correct to call this machine a controlled wave. The equipment of the machine consists of a pair of steel disks with a diameter of 140 mm, which are bolted to the worktop. The axis of rotation of the universal wrench is fixed to the drive disk.

Machine “wave”
Wave control occurs as a result of changing the distance between the disks. When the bar is rolled around the drive disk with a knob, a pattern is formed, after which the bar is removed from the conductor and a pattern is formed on the other side.
You can watch the machine in action in the video:

Press machine

A press is needed to form the ends of the rods. This machine works on the principle of a flywheel; first, by rotating the bar with weights, the screw striker is pulled back until it stops. After this, a replacement stamp is inserted into the slot and the workpiece is placed. Next, quickly spin the bar in the opposite direction and leave it to rotate freely. Finally, the striker hits the stamp shank strongly, due to this, a force sufficient for stamping is developed.

Rolling press
As for the manual rolling mill, you can make it yourself, but you still have to order special steel rolls, bearing bushings and shafts, and buy gears in the store. Only “crow’s foot” and “leaf” tips can be produced on such a machine.

Connecting and painting parts

Elements produced by cold forging are connected in two ways:

• Welding - the parts are welded to each other, and the scale is ground off with a grinder or other grinding machine.
• Clamps - this type of connection looks much more beautiful. For clamps, stamped strips of metal with a thickness of 1.5 mm or more are used.

Finished products are painted using blacksmith enamels or acrylic-based metal paints.

Connecting parts using welding

Products produced by cold forging

We invite you to familiarize yourself with the options for products that you can make using the cold forging method:

As can be seen from all of the above, the cold forging method does not require large financial costs and is quite easy to learn, so if you decide to start learning blacksmithing with this method, then you did the right thing.

Artistic forging— production of decorative and household items from metal using forging methods. After such processing, the products receive a final appearance that has not only practicality, but also artistic value and functional decoration. Metal art products have always been valued. In the 21st century, the production of forged products is a highly profitable business with an inexpensive cost of entry into the business. Let's look at the details of opening a business and a blacksmith shop.

Modern blacksmithing usually produces gates, fences, architectural elements of buildings, garden furniture and decorative elements, forged stairs and railings, furniture and interior items. And the list is not complete. Modern technologies make it possible to realize almost any fantasy in metal.

In everyday classification, forging is divided into two types - hot and cold forging.

Hot forging- a classic type of forging metal processing by heating products to high temperatures and giving them a finished shape using mechanical action - under a press, hammer, hammer and other tool. It is used for the manufacture of piece, unique, complex and very individual products.

Cold forging— the main processes of this approach are bending of finished rolled metal and its forming. A modern type of metal processing, where, using various types of mechanical action, the metal is stamped, bent, and takes on its final shape. So-called forged elements are manufactured, which are then assembled into the final product. Used for mass production of standard metal products. Suitable for products for which increased requirements for reliability and individuality are not applied.

Since we want to open a highly profitable forging business with a low opening cost, a cold forging workshop will be the most preferable. Let's consider the moments of such blacksmithing.

We are opening a blacksmith shop for artistic forging. Business plan

Cold forging imposes a number of restrictions. The production of forged elements occurs from standardized rolled metal - round and square pipes of certain cross-sections, sheet metal, metal rods and strips, therefore, the equipment used for cold forging can only work with the specified range of rolled metal on standard templates. Consequently, the range of products obtained is limited by the capabilities of the equipment. But don’t worry, you can combine standard complex and simple forging forms with each other as you wish, which means you can easily create a completely original product.

The advantages of such forging are also obvious - the availability and low cost of the range of finished metal products, equipment from different manufacturers is interchangeable for finished products and there is no need to stop the workshop for re-equipment. A wide selection of ready-made equipment in terms of price and operating principle allows you to “assemble” a workshop gradually, based on financial capabilities.

So, for example, equipping a workshop with manual mechanical machines (equipment) will cost you 100-200 thousand. Such a workshop, due to physical limitations, will not be able to produce products en masse, but the business will already be working - you can serve 5-10 orders per month .

And equipping the workshop with similar but semi-automatic electromechanical or hydraulic machines will allow you to produce forged products in large quantities, up to 500 pieces per shift, which will expand the number of orders served to 50-100 per month. However, the cost of equipping such a workshop will cost you 1.5-3 million rubles.

To open a production workshop you will need a production space of about 80 m². The workshop must comply with fire safety standards, since it will involve working with welding and hot metal.

Mandatory equipment for the workshop are:

• Racks for rolled metal and finished forged products,
• Cutting machine or scissors. Allowing you to cut the required length of rolled metal and form a cutting angle.
• Pipe bending machine. Allows radius bending of pipes of various profiles and diameters.
• Bending machine. Essential for the production of basic bent forged products.
• Rolling machine. Allows you to apply a relief pattern to metal and process the edges of the product.
• Twisted Pipe Machine. Allows you to produce a “twisted” pipe or rod.
• Presses. For the production of small, uniform forged design elements.
• Horn. The forming of some elements such as metal balusters, peaks, etc. requires preheating the metal.
• Assembly table with welding machine. Welding of finished forged elements into a single structure according to the order sketch. The device is standard for MMA or TIG welding.
• Spray booth. Where the finished products are painted and dried.

As a rule, sellers of equipment for a forging shop provide free advice and provide the necessary support (necessary documents, business plan) for opening a cold forging shop.

We invite you to watch a video showing manual equipment for cold forging

Also, you can watch a video showing the operation of a universal cold forging machine

The profitability of a forge shop easily reaches 300% of the cost of the rolled metal used. Since it has traditionally been the case that the cost of a forged product is measured in square meters, and starts from 2,000 rubles per square meter. Thus, a forged grille for a window measuring 2 square meters will cost the customer at least 4 thousand rubles, and the set of rolled metal necessary for the manufacture of such a grille will cost a maximum of 400 rubles (a linear meter of rolled metal starts from 30 rubles). The “blacksmith” takes the rest of the cost for the work and consumables - paint, welding, work on machines.

A good blacksmith will always find a job! This expression is the best fit for a business in the production of forged products. A lot in this matter depends on the master. For this reason, large enterprises cannot be found in this area. Artistic or cold forging is, first of all, a small business, where everything revolves around the talent of the business organizer, who at one point decided to turn his hobby into a profitable business...

Cold forging refers to working with metal at room temperature. Unlike hot forging, the metal is not heated. The main operations in cold forging are cutting blanks and bending them on special machines. Most elements of cold (artistic) forging are templates and are produced in serial versions. Cold forging has its advantages:

• no need to heat the iron,
• minimal production pollution,
• high control of product size,
• the metal acquires good qualities,
• the coating is strong and durable,
• The training of craftsmen is faster than with hot forging.

The great advantage of this business is the assortment that can be produced in mini-production conditions: forged gates and grilles, barbecues, garden trellises and flower beds, fireplace accessories, arches and balconies, forged furniture and benches, canopies and swings, forged fences and railings, lamps and monuments, forged doors, forged panels and so on. Prices for products, in fact, are limited only by the complexity of the work. A barbecue can be sold for 3-5 thousand rubles, and a forged gate for 40-60 thousand rubles.

It is advantageous to locate production near large cities and metropolises. Customers can be individuals who want to decorate courtyard areas, as well as enterprises, shops, recreation centers, funeral agencies, and so on. Some entrepreneurs open a similar business virtually at home. And if your house is located on a federal highway, then it is very easy for you to sell your products: you display your products right on the highway - and live advertising brings an endless stream of customers. As an example, a message from the user “Old Welder” from the chipmaker.ru forum:

Education is our everything!

There are two ways to organize this matter:

the first way: you are the organizer of the business, have the capital to open a business and want to assemble a team of good craftsmen, that is, you do not produce it yourself, but only control the process;

second way: you are a beginning craftsman, without initial capital, you want to learn the art of cold forging and produce products on your own. And then, when things get going, expand production and attract assistants.

The first option is business. But there is a big difficulty here - finding good craftsmen. Most often, they work for themselves, they have enough orders and they don’t need any owner. Therefore, the second option, when the project initiator personally stands at the machine, may turn out to be an even simpler path.

If you decide to open such a business from scratch, then the first thing you need to start with is studying the art of forging. There are a lot of options for getting an education here.

The fastest way is to find a good mentor. To do this, you can get a job as an assistant to an experienced master, who will make you an excellent worker in a few months. At the same time, you can study literature on forging. Thanks to the Internet, finding literature on cold forging is not difficult. There is a lot of useful material in the books of American and German masters: Dona Meilach, Diana Stewart, Peter Parkinson, Albert Paley and others. You can always get sketches and ready-made ideas for forging from the Internet. A lot of useful information can be found in the “Artistic Forging” catalog from the website www.store.ostmetal.info.

Premises and staff

Some craftsmen even use a garage as a room for forging products. But this is more like a hobby, since it will not be possible to establish at least some volume of production in such an area. To organize an enterprise you will need an area of ​​100 sq.m. Required areas: forge, metalwork and assembly and paint shops. A machine for processing metal is located in the forging area, a welding machine and a welding table are located in the fitting and assembly area, and a compressor with a spray gun is located in the painting area.

For production it is necessary to hire at least 3 people - one for production, a second for assembling products (welder) and a third for painting the finished product. Also, depending on the volume, a sales manager may be required, although in the early stages the project organizer himself can handle this function.

Equipment and materials

Among the variety of machines for artistic forging, it is difficult to choose the right equipment. To organize even a small production, you will need a machine for cold metal processing and a welding machine. The basis of artistic forging is a machine for bending metal. The price of a machine can vary dramatically depending on its features or the number of items it can produce. Ultimately, it all comes down to having the funds to start a business.

With limited starting capital, you can take the budget machine “UMT-04K”. It can be used to produce most products that are offered on the market. It does not take up much space and is perfect for working in a small workshop. Can be operated by just one person.

A more expensive option is the Decor-Universal bending and rolling machine. Its price starts from 450 thousand rubles. Such a machine is more functional and can produce the basic elements of artistic forging: small and large rings, a “basket” element, curls, a “torsion bar” square, pulling decorative tabs, bending pipes up to 70 mm, crimping rolled metal.

To weld and form unforged products, you will need to purchase a welding machine. Professional welding is not cheap. For example, many advise purchasing German Merkle welding machines. Their cost starts from 150 thousand rubles. You can save money by buying used welding equipment, but building a good business on such equipment will be difficult.

To paint finished products, you need to purchase a compressor with a spray gun. As a painting material, experts advise using only special paint intended for forged products. For example, many people praise WS Plast paint. If you use a different paint, the product may lose its original appearance after 2-3 years, which will make the client doubt your reputation.

In addition to equipment and materials, it is advisable to purchase a few ready-made forged elements: baskets, forgings, peaks - this way you can diversify the range of products produced.

When to start?

As in any business, there is also a seasonality factor. Demand for forged products falls in winter and begins to grow actively with the beginning of spring and remains high until mid-autumn. Loading of orders may be uneven from month to month. To ensure that production does not stand idle, in winter you can increase advertising, as well as produce products that are traditionally in demand and sold out in any season: barbecues, flower beds, swings, and so on.

Artistic forging - a brief business plan

Feasibility study for opening a mini-enterprise for the production of forged products using artistic (cold) forging technology.

Starting investments:

• purchase of equipment (machine tool, welding machine, compressor, etc.) – 500 thousand rubles;
• purchase of materials for production (blanks) – 100 thousand rubles;
• education and training costs – 50 thousand rubles;
• advertising – 20 thousand rubles;
• other expenses – 50 thousand rubles.

Total: 720 thousand rubles.

Fixed monthly expenses:

• rental of premises (100 sq.m.) – 40 thousand rubles;
• salary (2 masters) – 60 thousand rubles;
• utility bills (electricity, heating) – 25 thousand rubles;
• other expenses – 30 thousand rubles.

Total expenses per month: 155 thousand rubles.

With proper business promotion, you can ship (sell) daily, on average, 4 simple products costing 3 thousand rubles or one complex product costing 12 thousand rubles or more. Taking into account the fact that 20% of the cost of the product is the price of the material, our income will be about 9.6 thousand rubles per day or 288 thousand rubles per month. We subtract fixed expenses from this amount (155 thousand rubles) and we get a profit of 133 thousand rubles. From this amount we pay the simplified tax system of 15%, and we receive a net profit of 113.5 rubles per month. With such indicators, the money spent on starting a business pays off within 7 months of work.

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