Forging by Hydraulic Pressure.” by RALPRHART TWEDDELL, M
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THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL ENGINEERS. ~~~ ~~ .~__ SESSION 1893-94.-PART 111. SECT.1.-MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS. 20 February, 1894. ALFRED GILES, President, in the Chair. (Paper No. 271 0.) “ Forging by Hydraulic Pressure.” By RALPRHART TWEDDELL, M. Inst. C.E. INthe following remarks on the history and application of the hydraulic press toforging large masses of steeland iron, the Author assumes that the ingots are of suitable quality, and does not propose to refer to the variousprocesses by which such quality is obtained. The hydraulic treatmentof steel in the ingot formed the subject of a Paper read before this Institution by Mr. W. H. Greenwood, M. Inst. C.E., in 1889.l For reasons therein stated, Mr. Greenwood confined his remarks to the effect of “ fluid compression ” on the ingot, and was unable to treat of the subject of this Paper. It may be takenthat the practical employment of thehydraulic forging-press dates from the successful production of steel in the form of large ingots ; and as in its day, N,asmyth‘s steam-hammer superseded machines of less power, SO the former has had to give place to the hydraulic press. Much has been written as to the relative merits of the steam-hammer and the hydraulic press, but while there is room for diiference of opinion in reference to work of ordinary dimensions, there is none when it comes to a question of making the heavy forgings now required for large guns and marineshafting, and the hydraulic pressshows togreater ad- vantage as the work to be dealt with increases in weight and complexity. The introduction of the hydraulicforging-press is due to Mr. M. __._____ 1 Minutes of Proccedings hat. C.&vol. xcviii. p. 83. [THE INST. C.E. VOL. CXVII.] B Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 2 TWEDDELL ON FORUING BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. [Minutes of Gledhill,managing director of SirJoseph Whitworth and CO. About the years 1860-61, the firm in question had considerable trouble in obtaining steel suitable for the manufacture of guns. .So far as the artof steel manufacture was then understood, nothing could be alleged against its quality. It was this which suggested to Sir Joseph Whitworth the idea of subjecting this material to .a very high pressure when in a fluid state, his notion being that this compressioncould be applied not only to ingotsbut to .castings of all shapes. This, however, was not found practicable, and it was then that Mr. Gledhill suggested forging the ingot after compression in a suitable hydraulic press. The Author has taken some trouble to ascertain to whom the credit of so distinct :an advance in constructive machinery is due, and in support of this statement Colonel Dyer, of the Elswick Works, thus writes to the Author :- ‘L The introduction of hydraulic forging is undoubtedly due to Mr. M. Gledhill,who for manyyears hasbeen themanaging .director of the well-knownworks of Sir Joseph Whitworth, of Manchester. He introducedthe system and perfected allthe details; if you apply to him he will supply you with the whole history of hydraulic forging. Everything which has been done as regardshydraulic forging both in Englandand abroad isan imitation of the system which Mr. Gledhill perfected.” It is generally understood that a similar system of forging is in use at Elswick, but the Author has not been fortunate enough to :see it in operation there. The Members of the United States Navy Gun-Foundry Board \thus reported theirimpressions on a similar occasion :- In speaking of the Whitworth establishment a8 unique, and of the process of manufacture at that place as a revelation, reference is specially made to the subject of forging. As to the assorting of iron and the treatment of the metal in the furnaces, there is no intention to draw distinctions ; but as to the treatment of the metal after casting, there canbe no doubt of the superiority of the aystem .adopted by Sir Joseph Whitworth over that of811 the manufacturers in the world . It is only from personal observation that the merits of the system can be fully appreciated. The system of forging consists in compressing the liquid metal in the mould immediatelyafter casting, and in substitutingan hydraulic press for the hammer in the subsequent forging of the metal. Afterdescribing in generalterms the mode of workingthe press, the Board proceeded to say :- The effect produced by it (the press) requires to be seen to be thoroughly appreciated,and is altogether differentfrom that producedby thehammer. 1 Report of the Gun-Foundry Board, Washington, Feb. 16, 1884, p. 14. Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. Proceedings.1 TWEDDELL ON FORGING BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. 3 Theheated ingot resists the blow of the hammer,but the insinuating, persevering effort of the presscannot be denied. The longertime (several seconds) during which theeffort lasts, is a great element inits successful effect. As pressuresucceeds pressure, thestability of the particles is thoroughly distorted, and a veritable flow of metal induced, which arranges itself in such shape as the pressure indicates, the particles are forced into closer contact, and the whole mass writhes under the constraint which it is impotent to resist. The Board witnessed the operation of casting, followed by that of liquid com- preesion, the enlarging of hoops, the drawing outof cylinders, and the forging of .a solid ingot. The unanimous opinion of the members is, that the system of Sir Joseph Whitworth and Co. surpasses all other methods of forging, and that it gives better promise than any other of securing that uniformityso indispensable in good gun metal. The Author has quoted this Report because of its conciseness and the correctness of its forecasts, and because it exactly describes the effect (so far as it speaks of the process of forging) produced. on his own mind by a visit paid by him to the Whitworth works. It must beremembered also thatthe Reportrefers to a visit made ten years ago, and that many applications and advances in theintroduction of hydraulic forging-presseshave been made since that date. In 186l-about the time that Whitworth made his first press-John Haswell(an Englishman) introduced his hydraulic press into the shops of the Imperial and Royal State Railway at Vienna.This, however, wasnot a forging- but 8 stamping-press, and has been described as follows :- The system may be compared somewhat to forging in dies under the steam- hammer; but it permits the work to be finished much more accurately, and it also enables forgings to be produced which could never be otherwise manufac- turedunder the hammer. This mode of production offers theincalculable advantage of very great cheapness, and also the possibility to forge all details @ut of one piece, which it was necessary, formerly, to build up out of several .detached pieces, and lastly, their exceeding quicknessof manufacture. Haswell divided the classes of work which he proposed to do into four heads : 1. Sub-pressing with closed dies. 2. Sub-pressing combined with punching. 3. Pressing for drawingsteel (producing axles, .&C.). 4. For jumping-up and finishing parts of frames. The Author had some interesting correspondence with the late Mr. Haswell about twenty years ago, and there can be no doubt butthat to him is largelydue the present use of hydraulic pressurefor forgingand working metals.Mr. Haswell'sfree publication of his method of working,2 a.nd the results he obtained ~ 'LThe Manufactureof Locomotive Details by Pressure: Haswell's system." By R. L. Haswell. Journal Iron and Steel Institute, 1876, p. 428. B2 Downloaded by [ University of Liverpool] on [15/09/16]. Copyright © ICE Publishing, all rights reserved. 4 TWEDDELL ON FORGING BY HYDRAULIC PRESSURE. [Minutes of abroad, undoubtedly did much to popularize the hydraulic system andto set other minds at work. The experimentsmade by Professor Tresca on the ‘‘ Flow of Solids ” undoubtedly also led manyengineers t.0 studythe question of forging scientifically, and indirectly assisted the introduction of the hydraulic forging- press. It is of course not difficult, and it is to some minds a congenialtask, to hunt for, and find, something in t,herecords of the Patent Office which may appear to anticipate the results obtained by anyonewho successfully introduces a new system. Ever since theyear 1846, whenSir Charles Fox proposed the attachment of different tools for the working of hot or cold iron to the tables of the Bramah press, many suggestions for its use as a forging-press have beenmade. Butwhile many people can make such suggestions, the actual carrying of them out is left to the few, and the Author trusts he has given the credit where it is due. In order to ensure success in the application of the hydraulic press to forging, the following conditions must be fulfilled :- 1. The press must be so proportioned as to ensure the utmost rigidity, any movement of the main columns of course interfering with the correctness of the work. 2. The crane power must be not only ample, but so arranged that enormous weights, in many cases amounting to from 100 to 120 tons, can be manipulated by unskilled labourers. Hydraulic power, on the whole,seems to be the best to enable this to be done. 3. The details of the construction of such parts as the valves and pumping arrangements must be as perfect as possible. 4. A considerable amount of ingenuity and practical experience is required in making suitable tools for attachment to the press.2 Assuming that amaker has appliances for making the large castings, in many cases weighing 70 tons each, and steel columns, in some instances 26 inches diameter and 42 feet long and weighing say, 35 tons each, the first of the above conditions is perhaps the least difficult to fulfil.