February 2026 Volume 8

PRESIDENT'S NOTE

PRESIDENT'S NOTE

A rtificial intelligence (AI) is becoming ambient. What many don’t yet realize is that the North American forging industry is an essential player in the story of AI’s worldwide transformation. We are changing that narrative. The thunderous AI boom relies on a growing demand for electricity – power that’s generated with forged components that can withstand the extreme forces found in gas, steam, nuclear, hydro, and wind power generation. Once generated, power races along high-voltage transmission lines designed to endure years

Editorial Staff

PUBLISHER & EDITOR Angela Gibian Deputy Chief Executive | Forging Industry Association angela@forging.org ASSOCIATE EDITOR Amanda Dureiko Executive Director (FIERF) | Forging Industry Association amanda@forging.org DESIGN Lorean Crowder | Forging Industry Association Sr. Graphic Design & Publication Specialist lorean@forging.org CHAIRPERSON Jeffrey T. Jones President | Forge Resources Group VICE CHAIRPERSON Paul A. Spitz Vice President - Sales & Marketing | Unit Drop Forge Co. Inc. Antonio Alvarez Division Head | FRISA Steel Robert R. Bolin President | GLAMA USA Inc. Robert Brodhead Plant Manager | American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc. Mark Derry VP Operations | Portland Forge Bret Halley COO | Valley Forge & Bolt Mfg. Co. James D. Kane VP of Commercial Sales | Ellwood Quality Steels Co. Jeff Krueger Exec. Dir. of Corp. Sales | Scot Forge Co. Louis Philippe Lapierre COO | Finkl Steel Jose Lozano Vice President of Operations | Specialty Ring Products, Inc. Matt Natale Executive VP | AML Industries, Inc. Board of Directors

of weather events and stress. This journey of AI’s electric lifeblood along our grid infrastructure is supported by forged components that people, businesses, and the world’s technology leaders rely on to meet their needs, ranging from on-demand entertainment to using AI for lifesaving healthcare discoveries. As artificial intelligence is increasingly woven into the fabric of business and life, the buildout of this new world will be enabled and strengthened by the forging industry. In this edition, we explore many of the interesting applications of AI and automation that are leading the future of the forging industry. • From Simulation to Steel | page 10 • Turnkey Forging Lines For Lightweight Advanced Materials | page 12 • The Impact of AI in Training and Development on Forge Shops of the Future | page 14 • Automating Billet Picking in a Forge with 3D Robot Vision | page 20 • Quantitative Evaluation of Robotic Versus Manual Graphite Lubrication in Metal Forming | page 22 • Manufacturing Automation Systems to Solve Forging Hot Part Inspection Through an Automated Non-Contact System | page 64 As you read through each article, I hope you’re inspired by your fellow FIA members and what we’re accomplishing together. Best Regards,

Mark Ames, AAiP President and CEO Forging Industry Association

FIA Magazine (ISSN 2643-1254 (print) and ISSN 2643-1262 (online)) is published 4 times annually, May, August, November and February by the Forging Industry Association, 6363 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence, Ohio 44131. Telephone: (216) 781-6260. Only (1) copy of the print version distributed at no charge only to members of the Forging Industry Association. Digital version distributed at no charge to qualified individuals. Subscription requests available at www. forging.org. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodicals postage paid in Independence, OH and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Forging Industry Association, 6363 Oak Tree Blvd., Independence, Ohio 44131. Copyright © 2026 by the Forging Industry Association in both printed and electronic formats. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or part without the consent of the publisher. The publisher is not responsible for product claims and representations or for any statement made or opinion expressed herein. Data and information presented by the authors of specific articles are for informational purposes only and are not intended for use without independent, substantiating investigation on the part of potential users.

FIA MAGAZINE | FEBRUARY 2026 3