AISI 12L14 Forging Capabilities 6

[vmuro]

Hi all,

I am unfamiliar with the forging capabilites of AISI 12L14. I would like to know if there are any issues with forging this particular carbon steel. The reason I ask is because a supplier of ours is requesting a material change request stating that the material is too soft for forge forming. He is advising us to use 1020. I do understand that 12L14 is a relatively ductile and soft material primarily due to the lead content thus making a free-cutting material. Also, I believe I read somewhere that the minimun carbon content for forging is 0.3% whereas 12L14 has a carbon content of ? .15%. Here are it's chemical properties from SAE J403 for reference.

Fe: 97.91 - 98.70%
C: 0.15% Max
Mn: 0.85 - 1.15%
P: 0.04 - 0.09%
S: 0.26 - 0.35%
Pb: 0.15 - 0.35%

Any suggestions or recommendations are greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
-VM

 

[swall]

At forging temperatures, the lead will become liquid and tend to cause hot shortness during forging.

 

[stanweld]

Forgings need not have a minimum carbon content of .3%. Forgings with .15% C are common. As swall has stated the material is "hot short" and unsuitable for forging (unless you are in the scrap business).

 

[TVP]

VM,

Hot shortness is the term used to describe the condition of poor ductility at hot working temperatures due to certain alloying elements in steel (copper, lead, etc.). 12L14 is definitely not a suitable forging alloy. If the part isn't being machined completely out of cold drawn bar, don't specify this alloy.

 

[vmuro]

Thank you all for your quick and knowledgeable responses. It has been very helpful. Now, looking at the chem. comp. of 1020, it seems as though it is better suited for forging. It contains very little Si and no Pb nor Cu, which are elements that lead to hot shortness. Does anyone have experience with forging of this material. Also, what materials are best suited for forged forming? Or any guidelines or suggestion as to what should I look for when selecting a material for forging. Thanks again...

-VM

 

[swall]

You select material for a component based on what strength, corrosion resistance and other physical attributes may be required for the application. Then you narrow the list based on forgeability of the various materials. As it sounds like you have narrowed your focus to steels, pick the lowest cost, most readily available forgeable grade that will meet your strength requirements.