Altona Metals International

Flow Forming








Flowforming is a chip-less, high technology metal-forming technique for the production of seamless tubular components.

Flow forming is a volumetric rotary forming process to manufacture economically axis-symetric hollow parts mainly cylindrical components.

It is a technique of stretching material from a blank or preforms where the material rotated, and is stressed in a particular zone, above the yield point so that it can flow in an axial direction. This pressure is applied by three steel flowforming rollers, where the material flows over a sized mandrel to the final required dimensions, in two or more passes. In general all metals can be flowformed, provided that they are homogenous and fine-grained.

    Advantages of Flowforming:
  • Short lead times
  • Design freedom
  • Low tooling costs
  • Improved Part Quality
  • High Diameter to length ratio
  • Tapered / stepped wall thicknesses possible
  • Good surface finish and high dimensional accuracy
  • Consistant and increased mechanical properties
  • Optimum grain flow resulting in refined grain size
  • Economical unit prices - even on medium and small batches
  • Wide choice of usable materials including hardened materials
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