Cold Headed Parts Industry Information
Cold
heading, a procedure also known as upsetting, is the process of
forming a head on a fastener or
a bulge on a cylindrical part that is being headed. Upsetting is a
cold forming process, meaning that it is accomplished without the application
of heat. The procedure essentially involves applying force with a punch
to the end of a metal blank, such as metal
wire contained in a die, to create a part. Cold
forming is a popular choice for creating different parts because
it has many advantages, such as minimal material waste, consistency,
good output rates and little need for further finishing operations.
Cold headed part manufacturers have great versatility with part designs.
The metals used by cold headed part manufacturers range from copper to high grade
titanium. Steel is the most widely used material because of its strength and
economic stability. The machine that performs this heading is known, appropriately,
as a header. Headers are often fully
automated CNC (computer numeric controlled) machines, which are able to make
the rapid and consistent production of cold headed parts a reality. With cold
forming and heading, there is no machining, no lathe work and no automatic
screw machines. Therefore, a minimum of material is wasted by the end of
the procedure.
Fasteners represent the single largest category of parts produced by cold headed
part manufacturers. A fastener, such as a bolt, rivet or screw, is used for securing
two or more materials together. Other parts, such as spark plugs and axles, can
be created using this cold headed process as well. Due to its popularity in making
various types of fasteners, the phrase "cold headed parts" has become
virtually synonymous with "metal fasteners." Quite often, cold headed
parts manufacturers will also provide secondary operations after forming their
products, such as bending, knurling, drilling, swaging, patching, tapping, head
painting, heat treating, shaving and milling.
The cold headed parts process is capable of producing a wide range of forms,
but sometimes not larger and more complex parts because of economic and detailing
reasons. Cold heading remains the method of choice for many smaller parts, however,
as it is quite economical. Many of these parts previously could only be made
by machining or cutting away metal, resulting in labor and material waste. Cold
headed parts are used in a variety of industries, from construction to lawn and
garden, automotive to toys and others: hardware, stamping, injection
molding, appliance, furniture, aerospace, farming and recreation.