![]() When making wrenches, more than one size may be made from the same forging. The rough forging gives you the shape you want, but not necessarily all the dimensions you need. Then it is drop forged, a process that takes the hot billet and shapes it into a rough forging. Chrome Vanadium is a common material, but we all use it because of the common properties in it.”Dean also pointed out that 6140 Chrome Vanadium has good abrasion, oxidation and corrosion resistance, and it’s conducive to future hardening, so it’s often used as a base material for products that will go through a hardening step during the manufacturing process.Since wrench manufacturers receive materials in large quantity, for example long steel rods, as a pre-production process these rods are cut to specific sizes, then often sand-blasted to remove any impurities that could affect the production process.The billet, at that point just a piece of metal, is then heated close to its melting temperature. When you think of a wrench, it must be strong so it doesn’t distort, and it must be durable, so it doesn’t wear. “You pick a material that is going to impart the properties that the end use tool requires. The type of material you are going to make a hammer out of is different than that you are going to make a wrench out of,” said Paul Dean, VP of Operations, Gray Tools. ![]() Strength is a characteristic that means a material can withstand a considerable force, and durability is a characteristic that means it can withstand that force over and over again.“When you select an alloy to make a tool out of, you need to think of the end use. The reason is that 6140 Chrome Vanadium is a proven material for products that require both strength and durability.While those two aspects initially might seem to be one in the same, they are two different things. Most wrenches are made from an alloy steel, and more specifically, 6140 Chrome Vanadium steel. Here’s a rundown.Individual companies have their own specific formulas and procedures, but the major steps of the process are generally the same. Wrenches are one of our most used tools, and they can take some serious abuse, so I thought it a perfect time to take a first-hand look at how they are made. A far cry from the hammer and anvil, today’s world of manufacturing is a fascinating subject, twisting together the evolution of science and technology into a dynamic process. And that’s not the only thing that changed.Today’s tools are built to withstand levels of stress well above that of years ago, and as auto technicians, we rely on it. ![]() In the old days, a blacksmith was known for making tools, horseshoes, wagon parts, farm implements and anything out of metal.But by the time the automobile arrived and created the need for auto mechanics and specific automotive tools, the industrial revolution had already changed the world with the development of machines and processes to minimize manual labor and increase the output of products. It’s an artform, and a fascinating process to watch them pull red-hot metal from the forge, then a few minutes later with some skillful hammering and shaping, see an everyday object take shape.There’s just something intriguing about it, from the smell of the fire to the red-hot metal to the rhythmic clanking of the hammer. I’ve always enjoyed watching a blacksmith work.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |