May 2026 Volume 8

MATERIALS

As shown in Table 2, there are currently several FIA member companies that report forging nickel base alloys. These companies are spread across North America including companies in the US, Canada, and Mexico. Table 2: Partial List of FIA Members Forging Nickel Alloys 5 Company State(s) Anderson Shumaker Company IL ATI Forged Products WI California AMFORGE Corporation CA Canton Drop Forge, Inc. OH Charles E. Larson & Sons, Inc. IL Consolidated Industries, Inc. CT Ellwood Texas Forge TX FRISA Forjados Mont (MX) Howmet Aerospace OH/CA/NY Lenape Forged Products PA Modern Forge Companies, LLC IL Patriot Forge Co. ONT (Can) Pursuit Aerospace NY/OH Scot Forge Co. IL SIFCO Cleveland Division - SIFCO Forge OH Specialty Ring Products, Inc. PA Storms Forge MA Trinity Forge, Inc. TX Ulven Forging Incorporated OR The melting process of nickel-based superalloys represents the primary step in metal material preparation to get it into a form that can be forged. After decades of development, various melting process types have emerged (see Figure 7), including processes like Vacuum Induction Melting (VIM), Electric Arc Furnace Melting (EAF) plus Argon Oxygen Decarburization (AOD) refining, and Plasma Arc or Electron Beam Cold Hearth refining (EBCHR). These are typically followed by remelting via Vacuum Arc (VAR) or Electroslag (ESR) remelting. Technical Considerations Alloy Production

Figure 7: Nickel Alloy Melting Routes The benefits of remelting via ESR or VAR include:

• Tight control of solidification rate of molten material and control over the microstructure and ability to minimize segregation. • Remove gases (N, O, H) that may have been dissolved in liquid metal during non-vacuum primary melting which are not desirable. • Lower concentration of elements with high vapor pressure (O, C, S, Mg) which are contaminants. • Centerline porosity and segregation are eliminated in the ingot. • Certain reactive metals and alloys, such as Ti, cannot be melted in air. The charge is made up of scrap and returns containing the nickel alloy itself and/or the alloying elements required to make up the nickel alloy. Balancing of alloying elements can be done with pure alloy and/or ferroalloys like ferro-nickel, molybdenum, and ferro titanium are used as cost-effective sources to introduce alloying elements. The alloying elements and what their function in nickel base alloys include: Co, Cr, Fe, Mo, W, Ta, Re Solid solution strengthening, stabilize γ austenite Al, Ti, Ta Form γ′ strengthening phase Co Inc. γ′ solvus temp, reduce Al and Ti solubility in matrix Re Prevent γ′ coarsening W, Ta, Ti, Mo, Nb, Hf Form MC carbides Cr, Mo, W, Nb Form M₂₃C₆, M₆C, and M₇C₃ carbides Al, Cr, Y, La, Ce Improve oxidation resistance B, Ta Improve creep properties B, C, Zr, Hf Grain boundary strengthening After an ingot is cast, the material properties and homogeneity of the ingot are typically not suitable for direct forging into finished components therefore the nickel alloy ingots are forged into billets before further processing (see forms in Figure 8).

FIA MAGAZINE | MAY 2026 47