The information presented in the Manual was obtained from the literature, from industrial sources, and from a laboratory-scale experimental program designed to study significant forging characteristics of several typical alloys. This information can be divided into four major categories. (1) Plastic deformation of metals: This information deals with the mechanics of plastic deformation, and the fundamental principles of metal behavior during deformation; (2) Principles of forging: This information concerns the empirical relationships developed for forging processes which serve as practical guides for establishing design limits and shop practices; (3) Forging processes and practices: This information relates to the state of the art of forging, and covers such topics as forging equipment, types of operations, die design, lubrications, specifications for typical forged shapes, etc; and (4) Forging alloys: These data treat the forging of specific alloy systems in terms of the influence of material properties on forging behavior, and the influence of forging procedure on the properties of the forged product. (Author).

Editors Altan (Ohio State University), Ngaile (North Carolina University), and Shen (Ladish Company, Inc.) offer this extensive overview of the latest developments in the design of forging operations and dies. Basic technological principles are briefly reviewed in the first two chapters.

The handbook provides design engineers with up-to-date information about the many aspects of forging including descriptions of important developments made more recently by industry and/or government. The handbook describes suitable measures for in-process quality control and quality assurance, summarizes relationships between forging practices and important mechanical properties and compares various forging devices to aid in equipment selection. Attention is also given to describing practices for relatively new materials and emerging forging practices. (Modified author abstract).