Hot forging and cold forging are the two main manufacturing processes used for universal joints. The most significant difference between them lies in the processing temperature.
Hot forging refers to heating steel to a high temperature (typically around 900–1200°C), bringing the material into a highly plastic state (usually within the austenitic range), which significantly reduces deformation resistance and facilitates forming.
Cold forging, on the other hand, is performed at room temperature or under low-temperature conditions (typically without preheating the raw material), relying on high pressure to induce plastic deformation.
If your application requires large or highly complex universal joint components and the production volume is relatively low, hot forging offers clear advantages.
If higher mechanical performance, large production volumes, and stronger environmental considerations are priorities, cold forging is the more suitable choice.
As a compromise solution between these two processes, warm forging may also be considered in certain applications.
